Hajj and coronavirus

The hajj, a pilgrimage in which only a thousand worshipers will participate this year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, will begin on July 29, Saudi authorities announced on Monday.

Riyadh decided last month to limit the number of people participating in the hajj, after this large religious gathering gathered 2.5 million worshipers last year, the vast majority of them from abroad.

The pilgrims' recollection on Mount Arafat, the highlight of the pilgrimage, will take place on Thursday, "the official Saudi press agency SPA reported, adding that Wednesday will be the first day of the hajj according to the Supreme Court.

The date of the hajj is determined by the position of the moon.

To contain the novel coronavirus pandemic, the pilgrimage will be reserved for worshipers living in Saudi Arabia, authorities said. Foreign residents will represent 70% of the faithful authorized to perform this ritual.

Saudi citizens will make up the remaining 30% of the pilgrims and will be chosen from health and security professionals who have been infected but have recovered from the virus, according to the Hajj ministry.

Miss to win
After having suspended in March the "omra", the small pilgrimage which takes place throughout the year, the kingdom is preparing to face an immense shortfall, the flow of pilgrims usually generating every year 10, 6 billion euros.

However, the world's largest exporter of crude has already been hit hard by falling oil prices and the economic impact of the lockdown ordered to fight the virus.

The new coronavirus has officially infected 253,349 people, of which 2,523 have died, in Saudi Arabia, the most affected country in the Gulf.

If the hajj authorities indicated that the great pilgrimage would be limited to a thousand faithful, some local media are reporting the possible participation of 10,000 people.

The Saudi decision to limit the number of worshipers this year, an exceptional measure, has left many disappointed Muslims both inside and outside the kingdom.

But she was greeted by the Islamic World League, the head of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, and Al-Azhar in Cairo.

Candidates for the pilgrimage will be tested before arriving in Mecca, Islam's first holiest site, and will undergo domestic quarantine after the ritual ends.

The rules of hygiene and physical distancing will be observed during the hajj, a pillar of Islam.

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Muhammad ALI Joined: December 18th, 2020