Registration for downsized Haj ends today
Selection based on meeting eligibility rules
Cairo: A deadline for electronic registration for performing this year’s curtailed Haj expires today after more than 500,000 Muslims from inside Saudi Arabia have already applied for the major Islamic duty.
The Ministry of Haj and Umrah has said that registration for pilgrimage will end Wednesday night at 10pm (11pm UAE time). Sorting out the applications and announcing names of the pilgrims are expected on Friday.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia has said that due to the continuation of COVID-19 and its variants, performing this year’s Haj will be confined to 60,000 pilgrims from Saudis and foreign residents in the kingdom.
Eligible pilgrims must be vaccinated with at least one dose against COVID-19, free of chronic diseases and aged between 18 to 65 years.
Selection of the pilgrims will be on the basis of meeting related health conditions, not priority in registration, according to a Haj official.
More than 500,000 Saudi citizens and foreign residents inside the kingdom from 150 nationalities have registered for the Haj, said spokesman for the Haj Ministry Hesham Al Saeed.
“The sorting out mechanism will depend on ensuring that the applicants meet the health conditions in terms of the age group, the vaccination status and other related rules,” he added.
Last year’s Haj was performed by a limited number of Saudis and foreign Muslims residing in Saudi Arabia to contain the spread of COVID-19.
More than 2 million Muslims usually perform the Haj, which is one of Islam’s five pillars.