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More than two million people converge from around the world to perform the Hajj
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It will be for the second consecutive year that only Saudis will go to the two holy cities
Saudi Arabia will allow no more than 60,000 people, from the kingdom alone, to perform the Hajj this year in order to stem the transmission of the coronavirus in the country. It will be for the second consecutive year that pilgrims from around the world can’t come to the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah to perform the pilgrimage.
According to Arab News, Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Naif, who is also the chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee, signed off on the general emergency plan on Tuesday for the annual pilgrimage, which for the second year has been limited to residents of the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has had to put in placed precautionary measures to limit the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, limiting the event to 60,000 pilgrims this year. That number would have been above 2 million before the pandemic. The Hajj operation is being implemented by a number of government agencies.
Lt. Gen. Sulaiman bin Abdullah Al-Amro, director general of the Civil Defense, said that the authority had completed its preparations for the Hajj season, in line with the general emergency plan, a statement on the Saudi Press Agency said.
The plan “was prepared to achieve the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to provide the highest levels of security and safety for pilgrims, and is being implemented with their follow-up and support in Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites,” Lt. Gen. Al-Amro said.
He added that inspection tours have been intensified in all facilities and sites that have been prepared for the pilgrims’ accommodations, and included all preventive and executive measures and providing the necessary services to maintain public safety.