Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday that it will allow one million Muslims from within and outside the country to participate in this year’s hajj, a significant increase after pandemic restrictions forced two years of drastically reduced pilgrimages.
The hajj ministry said in a statement that it has “authorised one million pilgrims, both foreign and domestic, to perform the hajj this year.”
The hajj, one of Islam’s five pillars, must be performed at least once in the lives of all Muslims who have the financial means. In 2019, approximately 2.5 million people attended one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, which is usually one of the world’s largest religious gatherings.
However, following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Saudi authorities limited participation to 1,000 pilgrims.
The following year, they upped the total to 60,000 fully vaccinated residents chosen through a lottery.
The restrictions have stoked resentment among Muslims abroad who were barred. Saturday’s announcement said this year’s hajj would be limited to vaccinated pilgrims under age 65.
The government wants to ensure pilgrims’ safety “while ensuring that the maximum number of Muslims worldwide can perform the hajj”, Saturday’s statement said.
The hajj consists of a series of religious rites that are completed over five days in Islam’s holiest city, Mecca, and surrounding areas of western Saudi Arabia.
Hosting the hajj is a matter of prestige for Saudi rulers, as the custodianship of Islam’s holiest sites is the most powerful source of their political legitimacy.