Saudi Arabia To Allow Only 1,000 People For Hajj 2020; No Indian Will Participate In Pilgrimage

In a bid to control the further spread of Coronavirus infection, Saudi Arabia will allow only 1,000 pilgrims to participate in the Hajj 2020.

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In the wake of Coronavirus pandemic across the world, the Government of India has decided that no Muslim from India will travel to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Islamic practice of performing Hajj. The move has come after the Saudi Arabian authorities have drastically cut down the number of pilgrims arriving for Hajj. The pilgrimage, which is scheduled for late July this year, is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, with more than two million devotees visiting the Kingdom to perform Islamic rituals every year. However, in a bid to control the further spread of Coronavirus infection, the country has barred international travelers. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Hajj Minister Mohammad Benten said that Saudi Arabia will allow only 1,000 pilgrims to participate in the Islamic rituals. "This decision was taken to ensure haj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective," the Saudi government added in the statement. Following this, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday told "Saudi Arabia's Haj and Umrah minister Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten telephoned last night and suggested not to send pilgrims from India for Haj this year. This is why the Indian government has decided that Muslims from India will not travel to Saudi Arabia for Haj 2020." Meanwhile, Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population, has cancelled participation of its citizens in the Haj, the Gulf News reported on Friday. Approximately 220,000 people from Indonesia used to participate yearly. Earlier this month, Malaysia also confirmed that it will not be sending pilgrims for this year's Haj season. The other countries who have also cancelled are Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand and Brunei. WATCH | Watch top 100 news stories of the day