Saudi Arabia sets limit of 1m Hajj pilgrims this year

Jeddah: Saudi Arabia raised the number of Hajj pilgrims from inside and outside the kingdom to 1 million in 2022, authorities announced Saturday (today).  

The development comes after two years of restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In an official statement from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia urged visitors to comply with the health measures, stating Hajj is open to those under 65 years of age who have received approved COVID-19 vaccinations by the Saudi Ministry of Health. 

Following Covid Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), pilgrims from abroad will be required to submit a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours from the time of departure. 

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.

Just a few thousand people were allowed to perform the pilgrimage in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and only 1,000 the year before that.

Before the virus emerged, some 2.5 million people would travel every year to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.