Cairo: Authorities in the Saudi holy city of Medina have announced the start of registration for providing accommodation services for Muslim pilgrims in the next year’s annual Hajj.
The Mayoralty in Medina, home to Islam’s second holiest site, has called on the service providers specialised in accommodation and catering to apply with the required documents via the link: investment.amana-md.gov.sa/HajEasha on the Ministry of Hajj’s platform.
The deadline was not immediately clear. Next year’s Hajj is due in June.
Medina is home to the Prophet’s Mosque, which houses Al Rawda Al Sharifa where the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is located.
After performing Hajj rites in and around the holy city of Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest site, the faithful flock to Medina to pray at the Prophet’s Mosque and visit Al Rawda Al Sharifa.
As part of early preparations for the pilgrimage season, Medina authorities in July opened registration for obtaining pilgrims’ housing in the city.
The registration runs until the end of Rajab, the eighth month in the Islamic lunar calendar.
Nearly 2 million pilgrims from around the world in June performed Hajj in Saudi Arabia, marking the return of their numbers to pre-pandemic levels.
Saudi Arabia has already set rules for the upcoming Hajj season and stressed early preparations.
According to these rules, no specific places would be allotted for countries at the Saudi holy sites in the new pilgrimage season, the kingdom’s Minister of Hajj Tawfeeq Al Rabiah has said.
He explained that places for different countries will be designated depending on finalising contracts.
“The country that concludes early contracts will be given the priority in taking the appropriate places at the holy places,” he said.
The issuance of Hajj visas will commence on March 1 and end on the 20th of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar corresponding to April 29.
The arrival of Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia will begin on the first of Dhul Qaidah, the 11th Islamic month, corresponding to May 9. The new mechanism is geared towards facilitating preparations for Hajj, an obligatory Islamic duty.
Around 1.8 million pilgrims attended this year’s Hajj, according to Saudi official figures.
