Hajj is a sacred form of worship in which Muslims from all over the world visit Makkah and perform Hajj. Muslims are required to perform Hajj once in their lifetime.
Every year, millions of Muslims visit Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. However, the situation changed after the pandemic as Saudi Arabia curbed the number of pilgrims.
Before the covid pandemic in 2019, the number of pilgrims that visited Makkah was 2.5 million. But, after the pandemic, the Saudi government had to decrease the number of pilgrims by almost half.
Furthermore, the Saudi government allowed only 900,000 pilgrims under the age of 65. Also, the children were not allowed because of Covid policies.
Now, The ministry of Hajj and Umrah has decided to lift all the restrictions and allow all pilgrims without any age limit to visit Makkah to perform Hajj.
“The number of pilgrims will return to what it was before the pandemic, without any age limit,” Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq al-Rabiah told reporters in Riyadh.
During the opening of #Hajj_Expo 2023, H.E. Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq AlRabiah announces:
“Number of Hajj pilgrims in 1444H will return to how it was before the Coronavirus pandemic without age restrictions.”#Makkah_and_Madinah_Eagerly_Await_You pic.twitter.com/IZaPNqapIV
— Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (@MoHU_En) January 9, 2023