Indian pilgrims land in Saudi Arabia in run-up to Hajj

Cairo: Pilgrims from India have started arriving in Saudi Arabia ahead of next month’s Hajj pilgrimage expected to mark return to pre-epidemic levels.

Flights carrying pilgrims from India on Friday landed at the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz airport where their entry procedures were handled smoothly, the Saudi news agency SPA reported without giving specific figures.

The Saudi General Directorate of Passports had earlier said its personnel are ready to finalise the pilgrims’ entry procedures upon their arrival at the kingdom’s air, sea and land points.

First groups of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Malaysian pilgrims last week arrived in Saudi Arabia, which has maximised preparations for the annual Hajj season.

Hajj, one of Islam’s five obligatory duties, is due in late June this year.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has said that priority for registering to undertake this year’s pilgrimage is given to Muslims who did not perform it before.

The kingdom has said there will be no limits on the numbers of pilgrims from around the world for the upcoming Hajj season, reversing earlier restrictions prompted by the global pandemic.

In the past two years, Saudi Arabia downsized the numbers of Muslims allowed to perform the Hajj rites to prevent spread of COVID-19.

Around 2.5 million Muslims used to attend Hajj annually in the pre-pandemic times.

Muslims, who can physically and financially afford Hajj, have to perform it at least once in a lifetime.