Cairo: Saudi Arabia has unveiled e-platform to facilitate arrival of Muslim pilgrims from around 58 countries for this year’s Hajj, local media reported.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced the launch of the hajj.nusuk.sa platform for pilgrims from Europe, Americas and Australia as part of early efforts by the kingdom’s government to facilitate procedures for the upcoming Hajj season.
The ministry tweeted that registration via the platform was available for those pilgrims starting from Wednesday.
The new service enables pilgrims from these countries to apply, make reservations and conduct e-payment as well as select packages of Hajj-related services such as housing, catering, flights, guidance, and transportation, the ministry said.
The countries covered by the platform include France, Germany, the US, the UK, Italy, Brazil, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Argentina, Greece, Georgia, Switzerland, Cyprus, Denmark, Venezuela, Ukraine, Norway, Trinidad and Tobago, Finland, Colombia, Ireland, Romania, Croatia, New Zealand, Serbia, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Panama, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Cuba, Guatemala, Uruguay and Nicaragua.
Last month, Saudi Arabia opened registering for Muslims residing inside the kingdom to apply for this year’s Hajj rites.
Saudi authorities have 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 COVID-19 pandemic in the past two years.
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.
