First Batch of Hajj Pilgrims Arrive in Saudi Since Covid-19 Pandemic

Published June 5th, 2022 - 06:10 GMT

A long exposure photograph shows Muslim pilgrims circumambulating around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand mosque in the holy Saudi city of Mecca during the annual hajj pilgrimage, on July 17, 2021. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)

Highlights

Group of 358 pilgrims arrive from Indonesia

The first batch of Hajj pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, for the first time since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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A group of 358 pilgrims from Indonesia arrived at Prince Mohamed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in the holy city of Madinah, the state news agency SPA reported.

Saudi Arabia receives first foreign Hajj pilgrims since COVID began https://t.co/5Vq4yO2zvZ pic.twitter.com/I2YskM36AA
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 4, 2022

Saudi Arabia has limited the Hajj to domestic pilgrims for the past two years due to the pandemic. A total of 60,000 pilgrims performed Hajj last year compared to around 2.5 million in 2019.

The pilgrimage to Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba in the city of Mecca, is one of the five pillars of Islam.

A Muslim is required to perform the Hajj at least once if they have the means.

This article has been adapted from its original source.