Faizel Patel – 07/05/2021
With the blessed month of Ramadan almost over, the Hajj and Umrah Ministry in Saudi Arabia has announced it has not yet decided on whether Hajj 1442/2021 will take place this year.
Speaking to Al Arabiya, the ministry’s spokesperson Hisham Saeed says the Kingdom is keen on enabling all Muslims around the world to perform the rituals of Hajj.
However, he says the ministry is considering the safety of pilgrims before a decision can be made.
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.
Hajj and Umrah deputy minister Dr. Abdel Fattah Mashat earlier said that both foreign and domestic pilgrims can perform Umrah in accordance with the health requirements and coronavirus preventive protocols.
The procedures for performing Umrah can be completed through the Eatmarna and Tawakkalna apps.
Dr. Mashat emphasized that the application of precautionary measures would be the top priority while allowing both domestic and foreign pilgrims to perform Umrah.
It is unlikely South Africans will be allowed to perform Hajj this year.
Saudi Arabian authorities suspended entry to kingdom for travellers from 20 countries including South Africa, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Portugal among other countries.
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