Pilgrims arrive in Mecca for hajj like no other

MUSLIM pilgrims have started arriving in Mecca for a drastically scaled-down hajj as Saudi authorities balance the kingdom’s oversight of one of Islam’s key pillars and the safety of visitors in the face of a global pandemic.

The hajj, which begins on Wednesday, normally draws around 2.5 million people for five intense days of worship in one of the world’s largest gatherings of people from around the world.

This year, Saudi Arabia’s Hajj Ministry has said between 1000 and 10,000 people already residing in the kingdom will be allowed to perform the pilgrimage.

Two-thirds of those pilgrims will be from among foreign residents in Saudi Arabia and one-third will be Saudi citizens.

The kingdom has one of the region’s largest outbreaks of coronavirus, with more than 266,000 reported infections, including 2733 deaths.

Fatin Daud, a 25-year-old Malaysian studying Arabic in Saudi Arabia, was among the select few whose application for hajj was approved. After her selection, Saudi Health Ministry officials came to her home and tested her for Covid-19 before moving her to a hotel in Mecca where she remains in self-isolation.

“I am confident that safety measures are being taken and that the only thing that we need to do as pilgrims is follow instructions, and try our best to support each other,” she said.

The Saudi government is covering the expenses of all pilgrims this year, providing them with meals, hotel accommodation, transportation and health care.

For the first time in Saudi history, no pilgrims from abroad were permitted to take part in the hajj due to overcrowding concerns.