The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced on Saturday that Saudi Arabia will increase this year’s Hajj capacity to 1 million pilgrims. The ministry said this decision would be implemented in line with full safety guidelines based on the government’s concern for pilgrims’ safety and the well-being of those visiting the Grand Mosque and the […]

A tight security cordon is in place around Makkah and its holy sites to prevent unauthorized people entering the city during Hajj, commanders of the operation said on Wednesday. They also stressed that pilgrims will not be permitted to travel on foot from the Grand Mosque to Arafat, or between Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina. During […]

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah will start sending text messages to registered recipients between the ages of 41 and 50 to acquire a Hajj permit. The total number of registered pilgrims reached 558,270 with recipients aged 41-50 making up 20 percent of those approved. The electronic nomination will be canceled if they fail […]

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has warned citizens and residents against dealing with bogus Hajj companies that are not listed on the online portal for pilgrims. The ministry also urged all citizens and residents to be wary of unlicensed adverts on social media that do not have official endorsement. It advised people to […]

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah received more than 450,000 Hajj requests during the first 24 hours from the opening of registration for this year’s Hajj. The ministry explained that 60 percent of the applicants are males while 40 percent are females. The ministry has completed the first phase of allocating camps to institutions and […]

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has revealed the requirements and procedure of registration for Hajj 2021 via the electronic portal for domestic pilgrims. The Ministry has allowed women to register for the pilgrimage without a male guardian (mahram) along with other women. “Those wishing to perform Hajj will have to register individually.” The Ministry […]

Saudi Arabia’s decision to only allow 60,000 residents vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to perform this year’s Hajj, and to bar Muslims from abroad for a second straight year, has been widely welcomed. The Hajj — a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lives — packs millions of pilgrims into religious […]

Announcements about this year’s Hajj could be made in the coming days as the Kingdom completes its assessments of the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, said the acting Saudi minister of media, Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi. At a press conference held in Riyadh on Sunday, Al-Qasabi said the Saudi authorities are following up on (the […]

The pertinent authorities have approved a number of recommendations for the Hajj season 1442H, most prominent of which is enhancing benefitting from the health protocols and precautionary measures that were implemented during the Hajj 1441H, Okaz has learnt. The authorities are studying the possibility of implementing these protocols and measures in proportion to the number […]