The first group of Haj pilgrims from Western countries arrived in Makkah on Saturday ahead of the pilgrimage season in early July.
Pilgrims from the USA, Australia and Europe have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage after a gap of two years induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon their arrival in Makkah, the pilgrims were received by officials from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah including undersecretary Abdul Rahman Shams.
The latest group had registered for Haj through an app launched by the ministry. They were provided bottles of Zamzam, roses and souvenirs as a gesture from the ministry. The portal ensures that the applicants meet the criteria set for Haj eligibility and provides a set of varied packages and support services during the pilgrimage.
As per the directions from Saudi Arabia authorities, the pilgrims must be under the age of 65 years, fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and present a negative PCR test result. For this year’s Haj the kingdom has allowed a total of one lakh pilgrims from inside and around the world, reported Gulf News
Before the outbreak of COVID-19, about 2.5 million Muslims used to perform Haj every year.
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