The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has decided to hold “limited Hajj” this year in which limited people of foreign countries would be allowed to come for a religious visit while local public could become part of it yet they will be in a limited number as well on Monday.
The Saudi Press Agency said that KSA has taken the decision after a week due to pandemic to ensure safety and less increment in the number of cases of the COVID-19 in the country.
The Religious ministry stated during the press conference that the decision has been taken in the light of the coronavirus pandemic because it would be difficult to maintain social distancing if a large number of pilgrims would come to offer prayer as vaccines are not made yet.
Every year, more than two million foreigners come to Mecca and Medinah for Hajj, therefore, the country earns $12 billion annually from religious visit and tourism.
Although the current government has plan to increase the number of pilgrims by 2030 to raise the earning, the pandemic has given immense shock to the authorities that has been facing economic difficulties due to plunging prices of oil and lockdown.
Few weeks before, the religious ministry announced that it would either postpone Hajj or allow limited pilgrims to come to offer prayer later. At that time, Indonesia steeped back up and said that it would not send Indonesians to offer the largest prayer because of the outbreak.
Similarly, India backed off. The government said to refund the payments of Indian pilgrims who were selected by the government to go this year.
Malaysia and Singaporean governments have disagreed to send their locals to KSA for Hajj as well in 2020 because of the pandemic. Pakistan has not taken any decision but it is possible that it might allow because of their goodwill friendship with the country.
2020 has proved to be the unluckiest year for the global economy but at the same time, it has been giving us different ways to stabilize the business yet Hajj and business of products need transportation due to which it is required to flush out COVID-19 from the globe as fast as possible.
KSA has the highest infected people in Middle East with the tally of infected people stands at more than one hundred thousand while death tally is at 1000.
Hope the pandemic would end soon and hope the vaccine would be made fast.
