Saudi Arabia will host a million pilgrims for this year’s Hajj

Muslims pray around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque complex in the Saudi city of Makkah, on the first day of the fasting month of Ramadan, on April 2, 2022. (AFP)

• Saudi Arabia greatly expanding Hajj after two years of tight COVID restrictions
• Pilgrims to Makkah this year must be under age 65 and fully vaccinated

RIYADH: A million pilgrims will be allowed to perform Hajj in 2022, according to Saudi authorities.

The numbers attending the annual event were severely reduced in the previous two years to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Pilgrims will need to be under the age of 65 and must have had COVID-19 vaccinations approved by the Kingdom’s health ministry.

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We’re honored to welcome one million pilgrims in Hajj 2022 pic.twitter.com/YblHozXar2

— Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (@MoHU_En) April 9, 2022

All pilgrims will need to present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the time of departure.

The decision seeks to allow the largest number of pilgrims to take part in the Hajj, while preserving the health gains achieved by the Kingdom in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ministry said.

Muslim pilgrims gather on Mount Arafat during Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, on August 20, 2018. (AFP/File)

The increase will be according to the quotas allocated to countries, taking into account health recommendations.

Last year, 58,745 pilgrims performed Hajj, according to official data.

Before the pandemic, the number of pilgrims often exceeded 2 million.