By Sulaimon Jamiu
After two straight years of shutting the doors of Mecca and Madinah to Muslim pilgrims due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced that the two Holy Mosques are now ready to receive pilgrims from around the world to attend the 2022 Hajj and Umrah.
The Saudi Arabia Government had earlier on Saturday announced that the mandatory physical distancing in Mecca and Madinah has been scrapped.
In a short speech by Imam Sheikh Abdullah Juhany, he asked Muslims in the Holy Mosques to stand shoulder to shoulder for the morning solat (prayer) on Sunday, citing that the physical distancing has been scrapped by the Saudi’s Ministry of Interior.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, on Sunday, announced that the annual Hajj for this year 1443/ 2022 will take place with pilgrims from around the world and from within the Kingdom stating that the only condition would be that the pilgrim must be vaccinated.
The press release reads in part: “The annual Hajj for this year 1443/ 2022 will take place with pilgrims from around the world and from within the Kingdom.
“Pilgrims from around the world will participate in this year’s Hajj after a period of 2 years”. “The basic Requirement for pilgrims would be to be ‘Immune’ (Vaccinated against COVID-19).”
It was also announced that the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah will set the revised quota for each country.
