Saudis to allow ‘very limited numbers’ for the hajj

Saudi Arabia will because of the coronavirus allow only ‘very limited numbers’ of people to perform the annual hajj pilgrimage.

In a photoraph taken with slow shutter speed, pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, the cubic building at Mecca’s Grand Mosque last August. Picture: AP

Saudi Arabia will because of the coronavirus allow only “very limited numbers” of people to perform the annual hajj pilgrimage that traditionally draws about two million Muslims from around the world.

The decision on Tuesday comes after weeks of speculation over whether Saudi Arabia would cancel the pilgrimage altogether or allow the hajj to be held in symbolic numbers.

It’s unclear why the government waited until just five weeks before the hajj to announce its decision, but the timing indicates the sensitivity around major decisions concerning the hajj that affect Muslims around the world.

Saudi kings have for generations assumed titles as custodians of Islam’s holiest sites, and their oversight of the hajj is a source of prestige and influence among Muslims globally. The hajj generates around $US6bn ($8.7bn) in revenue for the government.

Saudi Arabia has never cancelled the hajj in the nearly 90 years since the country was founded. The government said its decision to drastically limit the number of pilgrims was aimed at preserving global public health due to the lack of a vaccine for the virus or a cure for those infected, as well as the risks associated with large gatherings of people.

The hajj is one of the biggest gatherings on earth, with pilgrims staying in close confines and walking and praying shoulder-to-shoulder. A stampede in 2015 caused more than 2400 deaths.

“This decision was taken to ensure hajj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective,” the government said.

The Ministry of Hajj said only people of various nationalities already residing in the country would be allowed to perform the large pilgrimage, which is set to begin at the end of July.

AP