This will be the first time that Saudi Arabia allows foreign pilgrims for Hajj since the start of the pandemic.
Efforts are currently being made to boost the quota of Qatari pilgrims for this year, according to Ali bin Sultan Al Misifri, the Director of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs’ Department of Hajj and Umrah Affairs.
He noted that more than 5,000 citizens applied for Hajj this year through the ministry’s website.
This year, twelve approved campaigns, which are essentially tour operators, have been given permission to operate Hajj tours. According to Al Misifri, the possibility of obtaining new campaign permits and obtaining the requisite clearances from the relevant authorities remains open, he said in an interview with Qatar News Agency.
The accepted applicants were notified via email and invited to register in the ministry’s approved campaigns. Applicants are approved following examination of data and information by the ministry, which also looks at whether they have been immunised.
Age is another factor considered, as per conditions and standards set by Saudi authorities.
However, the ministry does not set Hajj prices, according to Al Misifri. Instead, it leaves it up to the different operators to decide based on the degree of services and hospitality they are providing, and that “prices are likely to vary between campaigns.”
Hajj ministries belonging to both neighbouring Gulf states cooperate closely for the annual event to look at accommodation for incoming pilgrims.
He explained that the ministry in Doha sent an official delegation to the kingdom to assess the extent of arrangements and equipment on holy sites, as well as the provision of comfort and convenience for Qatari pilgrims at their chosen accommodation throughout the period of Hajj.
On Friday, the mission’s first delegation left for the kingdom to finalise arrangements for this year.
A template contract approved by the ministry is available for pilgrims and operators on the official ministry website that serves as a legally binding agreement that guarantees the rights and obligations of both parties for all aspects of the Hajj.
Al Misifri urged pilgrims to follow the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s health requirements, which include submitting a negative COVID-19 test result (PCR) for a sample taken within 72 hours of the date of departure from the kingdom, as well as the mandatory wearing of masks in open and closed places.
This will be the first time that Saudi Arabia allows foreign pilgrims for Hajj since the start of the pandemic.
Last year, the Gulf state limited its Hajj pilgrimage to only 60,000 people from within its own borders, due to the ongoing risks from the Covid-19 pandemic.