by Mohammad Salem and Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) – Thousands of people began pouring into Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca on Friday for the traditional “haj” pilgrimage, after a two-year suspension caused by the COVID pandemic -19.
The pilgrimage is scheduled for July 7-12.
Saudi Arabia has reopened its borders to foreign pilgrims. During the COVID-19 pandemic, only Saudi citizens and residents were able to take part in the annual ritual due to prevailing health restrictions.
For 2022, local authorities have announced an attendance cap set at one million worshippers, less than half of pre-pandemic levels.
Access to the Kaaba, a holy shrine at the center of Mecca’s Grand Mosque, is limited to pilgrims between the ages of 18 and 65 who have been fully vaccinated or immunized against the virus and do not suffer from chronic illnesses.
The kingdom is targeting 30 million pilgrims a year, for some 50 billion riyals (12.83 billion euros) in revenue by 2030.
(Writing: Aziz El Yaakoubi; French version Dina Kartit, edited by Sophie Louet)
click here for restrictions
©2022 Reuters
