After two years of rigorous COVID restrictions, Saudi Arabia will let up to 1 million individuals to participate in the Haj pilgrimage this year, dramatically extending the main event to include participants from outside the kingdom.
The ministry of Hajj and Umrah stated in a statement quoted by the SPA news agency that pilgrims to Mecca this year must be under the age of 65 and properly vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Participants from other countries will be allowed this year, but they must submit a recent negative COVID PCR test and follow health measures, according to the announcement.
The annual Haj, one of Islam’s five pillars, was limited to 60,000 domestic participants last year, down from 2.5 million pre-pandemic.
According to government data, pilgrimages to the holiest sites of Islam in Mecca and Medina for the week-long Haj and the shorter, year-round Umrah pilgrimage historically brought in roughly $12 billion each year to the kingdom.
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