Saudi Arabia has announced it will hold a “ very limited ” hajj this year , with pilgrims already in the kingdom allowed to perform the annual ritual as it moves to curb the biggest coronavirus outbreak in the Gulf .
The decision marks the first time in Saudi Arabia ’s modern history that Muslims outside the kingdom have been barred from performing the hajj , which last year drew 2 .5 million pilgrims .
The move to scale back the five -day event, scheduled for the end of July , is fraught with political and economic peril and comes after several Muslim nations pulled out of the ritual that forms one of the main pillars of Islam .
The kingdom ’ s hajj ministry said the ritual will be open to various nationalities already in Saudi Arabia , but it did not specify a number .
“ It was decided to hold the pilgrimage this year with very limited numbers… with different nationalities in the kingdom , ” the official Saudi Press Agency said on Monday , citing the ministry .
“ This decision is taken to ensure the hajj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective … and in accordance with the teachings of Islam. ”
The hajj – a must for able -bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime – could be a major source of contagion , as it packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites.
The decision comes as Saudi Arabia grapples to contain a major spike in infections, which have now risen to more than 161 ,000 cases — the highest in the Gulf — and over 1 , 300 deaths.
But despite the surge , Saudi Arabia on Sunday moved to end a coronavirus curfew across the kingdom and lift restrictions on businesses , including cinemas and other entertainment venues .
– Sensitive decision –
The announcement to hold a limited hajj will likely disappoint millions of Muslim pilgrims around the world who often invest their life savings and endure long waiting lists to make the trip .
But it will probably appease domestic pilgrims , who feared the ritual would entirely be cancelled for the first time in recent history.
“ Saudi Arabia has chosen the safest option that allows it to save face within the Muslim world while making sure they are not seen as compromising on public health, ” Umar Karim , a visiting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told AFP .

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COVID-19: Saudi Arabia to hold ‘very limited’ hajj