Reuters reported today, Wednesday, that Saudi Arabia is studying the possibility of preventing foreign arrivals for the second year in a row from performing the rituals of Hajj, due to fears of an outbreak of the Corona virus in the Kingdom.
Two informed sources said today, Wednesday, that Saudi Arabia is still studying this step, and a final decision in this regard has not yet been taken.
Two sources familiar with the matter said that the authorities had suspended previous plans to receive pilgrims from abroad and would not allow the performance of the rituals only for domestic pilgrims who had received the anti-Corona vaccine or had recovered from Covid-19 disease at least six months before the Hajj.
One of the sources added that age restrictions would also be applied.
It remains unclear how many pilgrims the Kingdom will allow to participate from within in the Hajj season this year, while the repercussions of the pandemic continue to be global.
The initial plans were to receive some pilgrims abroad who had received the anti-Coronavirus vaccine, but the confusion related to the types and efficiency of vaccines and the emergence of new mutated strains of the virus all prompted officials to reconsider the matter.
Saudi Arabia banned pilgrims coming from abroad last year due to the Corona pandemic for the first time in the Kingdom’s contemporary history, and allowed only a limited number of Saudi citizens and residents to perform the obligatory duty.
In February, the government suspended entry to the Kingdom for those coming from 20 countries, except for diplomats, Saudi citizens, doctors and their families, to limit the spread of the virus.
