Saudi Arabia approves Hajj quotas for overseas pilgrims

Pilgrims perform Hajj

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has approved the quotas for pilgrims from all over the world for the Hajj season 2022, local media reported.

According to Okaz newspaper, Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country, has been given the lion’s share with the highest number of Hajj pilgrims. The ministry allotted a quota of 100,051 for Indonesia, while Pakistan got the second largest number with 81,132 pilgrims, followed by India with 79,237. Bangladesh will send 57,585 pilgrims.

The African country of Angola will send the lowest number of pilgrims (23), while Nigeria got the largest with 43,008 pilgrims. As for the Arab countries, Egypt topped the list with 35,375 pilgrims. In addition, the quota allotted for Iran stood at 38,481, while Turkey will account for 37,770 pilgrims.

Reports quoting well-informed sources said the quota allotted for the US was 9,504 pilgrims, while 11,318 pilgrims will come from Russia, 9,190 from China, 5,885 pilgrims from Thailand and 91 pilgrims from Ukraine.

The ministry announced earlier that foreign pilgrims will constitute 85 per cent of the one million who will be allowed to perform Hajj this year.

The total number of 850,000 foreign pilgrims constitutes only 45.2 per cent of the actual quota of pilgrims that was allotted for each country before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Pilgrims above the age of 65 will not be allowed to perform Hajj this year. Also, those who want to perform Hajj should have taken two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.