Saudi Arabia banned International Pilgrims

Saudi Arabia banned International Pilgrims.

Saudi Arabia banned international pilgrims this year from making the Islamic pilgrimage, Hajj, in order to prevent the COVID-19. Normally, the Hajj is one of the most important moments of the Muslim religious calendar. But only citizens of countries around the world who already reside in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to participate this year.

Islam Protect Human Life.

Millions of people travel to the country throughout the year for Umrah, with a sharp increase in the number of visitors during the Hajj pilgrimage. "The decision is made to ensure that the hajj takes place in a safe manner from the point of view of public health, by observing all the preventive measures and social distancing protocols necessary in the face of the risks associated with this pandemic, and in accordance with the teachings of Islam relating to the preservation of human life”, justified the ministry in charge of the pilgrimage in a press release published on June 22.

Pakistan has led the Pilgrims worldwide.

Pakistanis have led the way in the number of Umrah executions in the past two years, followed by Indonesia and India. No less than 2.1 million Pakistanis participated in the Umrah in 2019, while the number for 2018 was 1.7 million. From January to June 2019, 1.6 million people participated in the Umrah, an average of more than 8,900 people per day.

Economic impact on Saudi Arabia.

Last year, 2.5 million worshipers crowded around the Kaaba, making hajj one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. This pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam. Keeping it in a limited version may affect the Saudi economy, which has already been hit hard by the fall in oil prices. Especially since the country had already suspended, in March, the Umrah, a small pilgrimage which takes place all year round in Makkah and Madina, the two holiest places in Islam.

However, during the hajj and the more, the pilgrims inject each year 10.6 billion euros in the Saudi economy, according to the government, a welcome sum in these times of austerity, and which the kingdom will have to do without. The great pilgrimage is one of the other sources of income to which the kingdom wishes to redirect its economy within the framework of the reform plan of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who wants to rid his country of its dependence on oil rent.