The Ministry announced that domestic pilgrims preparing to take part in the Hajj pilgrimage 2022 are allowed to register themselves and book their choice of Hajj packages from the available options. Priority would be given to pilgrims who have not appeared for Hajj before and are fully vaccinated.

Earlier authorized and unauthorized agents both were booking domestic and foreign pilgrims’ for their accommodation, transport, and other such services. They were largely unorganized and worked without much surveillance. But this year onwards, the country has made booking all such services easier and more transparent. These agents and companies are now catering to the pilgrims through the Hajj authorities’ official website and app. Only trusted companies are available to provide their services.

Domestic pilgrims now need to visit the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s official website or get the Eatmarna app to choose their package and complete their registration. These packages will include the companies that are providing their services. All applications will be recorded, and arrangements will be made accordingly.

Hajj 2022 packages and bookings

Domestic pilgrims will be allowed to stay in Mina’s residential towers, in normal tents with full facilities or sophisticated tents akin to hotel rooms, a new kind of lodging being provided for the first time. Food will be provided in buffets, as opposed to the previous two years, when pilgrims used to get individual meals in compliance with pandemic guidelines and restrictions.

The pilgrimage is available to anybody under age 65 who has been immunized against COVID-19 using vaccinations recognized by the Kingdom. However, access to the holy city of Makkah has been restricted as the city prepares to conduct the pilgrimage that is about to take place from July 7 to July 12. In 2019, the year before the pandemic, around 2 million pilgrims from all around the globe participated in Hajj. Saudi officials authorized just a thousand domestic pilgrims to participate in 2020 but increased the limit to 60,000 in 2021 as the people in the Kingdom were getting vaccinated.

Earlier, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that the country is planning to expand its hosting capacity for the Hajj pilgrimage from this year onwards. The authorities highlighted that this year as many as 1 million foreign pilgrims would be performing Hajj as the COVID-19 restrictions have been relaxed. While talking about domestic pilgrims, it was observed that as many as 1,50,000 have registered for Hajj in 2022. To be able to enter Saudi Arabia, foreign pilgrims will have to submit a negative COVID PCR test conducted within 72 hours before they enter Saudi territory.

Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is the biggest and the most important event for a Muslim. It is the once-in-a-lifetime duty of a Muslim to visit the place if the person can afford it. The last two years were a nightmare for foreign and domestic people planning to appear for the pilgrimage. The seats were highly restricted, with limited services. With Vision 2030 in mind, the country plans to conduct a full-scale Hajj with maximum safety and security from this year onwards.

Suggested Read: Hajj – The Primary Muslim Pilgrimage To Mecca: Rules, Rituals And More

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Saudi Arabia has relaxed the indoor mask mandate, despite COVID-19 cases slowly rising beyond 1,000 new cases per day after hitting double-digit lows only two months earlier. The country made the decision as it prepared to welcome more than 800,000 foreign pilgrims for the Hajj 2022 pilgrimage.

Guidelines for Hajj 2022

The first group of foreign pilgrims arrived from Indonesia. It is the first batch of pilgrims since the pandemic hit the world in 2019 and limited the Hajj pilgrimage to only domestic pilgrims in 2020 and 2021. These pilgrims have arrived in Madinah and will be traveling to reach Makkah. The flights from India and Malaysia are also expected to come soon. The Hajj pilgrimage consists of several rites that are performed in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. Saudi Arabia takes absolute pride in being the custodian of the pilgrimage and welcoming the guests of the Almighty.

According to the new guidelines, masks will still be necessary for Islam’s most sacred cities of Makkah and Madinah, where pilgrims assemble to pray and worship the Almighty. Events and festival organizers can mandate masks if they choose to. Apart from the requirement of negative PCR tests taken within 72 hours for visas, the pilgrims are required to have proof of vaccination on a mobile application. The vaccination certificate will be required for entry at different places, boarding transportation systems, and attending events. However, in recent times, the use of the mobile app to show vaccination certificates and wearing masks has become a scanty provision. In light of these changes, relaxing COVID-19 protocols for Hajj 2022 will make processes swift and smooth.

Impact of COVID-19 on Hajj

The COVID-19 outbreak affected Hajj and Umrah, which are generally the primary source of revenue for the country, bringing in over $12 billion annually. The Hajj is one of Islam’s five pillars, and all Muslims who have the financial means must do it at least once in their lifetimes. The last two years have been disappointing for foreign pilgrims. Saudi Arabia was one of the most proactive countries in the world in restricting its borders to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus for over two years.

As a result, only a thousand domestic pilgrims were allowed to perform Hajj in 2020, and over 60,000 domestic pilgrims in 2021. In 2019, previous to the pandemic, the figure for Hajj pilgrims was more than 2 million. The kingdom has decided to work on revamping the Hajj 2022 pilgrimage to its total capacity. It also decided to put a cap on the age of the pilgrims to 65 years. With its new guidelines, Saudi Arabia is all set to welcome around 800,000 foreign pilgrims for the first time since the pandemic.

In the past, Saudi nationals were barred from leaving the territory, and the country disallowed several nations from entering the kingdom. Evidence of vaccination was required to visit major public spaces, and the kingdom drastically reduced the capacity of the yearly Hajj pilgrimage. Since then, the country has relaxed its laws with the aim of attracting visitors under the new scheme of Vision 2030.

Suggested Read: Pillars Of Hajj And Umrah

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