Faizel Patel – 23/05/2021

(Twitter: @FaizelPatel143)

With just a few month left before Hajj 1442/2021, the South African Hajj and Umrah Council says it is still awaiting official confirmation from the Hajj Ministry about whether South Africans will be allowed to perform Hajj this year.

Earlier this month the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that Hajj 1442 will take place this year following health and safety requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry has announced the requirements for local and foreign pilgrims to perform hajj this year.

• Only 60,000 hujjaj (Local & Foreign)
• Hujjaj must be between the ages of 18 and 60-year-old.
• Hujjaj must be good health with no comorbidities and not having been hospitalized for any illness six months prior to hajj. Proof will have to be provided.
• Both jabs of the COVID-19 must have been taken The vaccination card must be certified by the health ministry of the pilgrims country.
• The vaccine must be on Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry’s approved vaccine list.
• Foreign pilgrims will have to quarantine for three days upon arrival in the Kingdom.
• The first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine must have been taken on 1 Shawwal of the Islamic year.
• The second jab of the COVID-19 vaccine must have been taken 14 days prior to the arrival in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Various other restriction including social distancing, wearing of masks.
• Entry into Mashaa’ir will be strictly regulated.

Last year, to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia, only ten thousand people in the Kingdom had been allowed to perform Hajj, seventy percent of them expats and thirty percent Saudi’s who were residing in the kingdom.

Currently South Africans are unable to travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah or Hajj.

Authorities suspended entry to Saudi Arabia for travellers from 20 countries including South Africa, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Portugal among other countries