A Saudi Arabian group responsible for providing accommodation to Muslim pilgrims during the Hajj season in Makkah has allowed the use of 1,860 buildings, which can house around 1.2 million pilgrims. The Deputy Governor of Makkah, Prince Saud bin Meshal, has given landlords an extended deadline until May 8th to apply for licenses to use their buildings for this purpose. It’s anticipated that eventually, there will be over 5,000 buildings available for pilgrims in Makkah.
Last year, nearly 2 million pilgrims traveled to Makkah for Hajj, marking a return to normalcy before the pandemic, as reported in the news. In preparation for this year’s Hajj season in June, Saudi Arabia has established guidelines, emphasizing the importance of early preparations. The Minister of Hajj, Tawfiq Al Rabiah, has stated that specific areas at the Saudi holy sites will not be reserved for countries; instead, allocations will be based on contractual agreements.
Hajj visas will be obtainable from March 1st to April 29th, with pilgrims scheduled to begin arriving on May 9th.
