The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said only “very limited numbers” of pilgrims could perform hajj this year, meaning only Saudis and Foreign nationals already residing in Saudi are allowed to participate in this year’s hajj.

Every year, Saudi Arabia welcomes millions of Muslims from different parts of the world to fulfill the fifth pillar of Islam. However, due to the eruption of the unusual Corona virus which has brought the world into a standstill, Saudi has decided to drastically reduce the number of pilgrims this year.

“This decision is taken to ensure Hajj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective while observing all preventative measures and the necessary social distancing protocols to protect human beings from the risks associated with this pandemic,” the statement said.

This decision as highlighted by the statement, is to ensure that pilgrims are safe and sound “The government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques…confirms that this decision stems from the top priority it accords maintaining the safety of pilgrims on its land until they depart to their home countries. We ask Allah the Almighty to protect all countries from this pandemic and keep all humans protected and safe.”

By Fatoumatta Samateh