Pilgrims arrive in Makkah for Haj

Pilgrims began arriving in the holy city of Makkah yesterday for the second downsized Haj staged during the coronavirus pandemic.

The kingdom is allowing only 60,000 fully vaccinated residents to take part, seeking to repeat last year’s success that saw no virus outbreak during the fiveday ritual.

This year’s Haj, with participants chosen through a lottery, is larger than the pared-down version staged in 2020 but drastically smaller than in normal times.

After being loaded on buses and brought to Makkah’s Grand Mosque, pilgrims began performing the “tawaf”, the circumambulation of the Ka’aba.

Many carried umbrellas to protect themselves from the scorching summer heat.

“Every three hours, 6,000 people enter to perform the tawaf of arrival,” Haj ministry spokesman Hisham al-Saeed told AFP. “After each group leaves, a sterilisation process is carried out at the sanctuary.”

Today the pilgrims will move on to Mina, around 5km away from the Grand Mosque, ahead of the main rite at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered his final sermon.

Chosen from more than 558,000 applicants through an online vetting system, the event is confined to those who have been fully vaccinated and are aged 18-65 with no chronic illnesses, according to the Haj ministry.

The experience for some women in attendance has been boosted by them no longer being required to be under male supervision — a stipulation dropped over 18 months ago.

The ministry has said it is working on the “highest levels of health precautions” in light of the pandemic and the emergence of new variants.

Pilgrims will be divided into groups of just 20 “to restrict any exposure to only those 20, limiting the spread of infection”, ministry undersecretary Mohamed al-Bijawi told official media.

The Haj went ahead last year on the smallest scale in modern history.

Authorities initially said only 1,000 pilgrims would be allowed, although local media said up to 10,000 eventually took part.

No infections were reported as authorities set up multiple health facilities, mobile clinics and ambulances to cater for the pilgrims, who were taken to the religious sites in small batches.

Worshippers were last year given amenity kits including sterilised pebbles for the “stoning of Satan” ritual, disinfectants, masks, a prayer rug and the ihram, a traditional seamless white Haj garment, made from a bacteria-resistant material.