DUBAI: The pilgrims’ health status was the main criteria used in selecting who would be allowed to participate in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, state news agency SPA reported.
The selection process was conducted in a transparent manner and focused on participants’ well-being, the report added, quoting Saudi Hajj Minister Mohammad Benten.
Saudi Arabia decided to limit participation in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage with the continued threat of coronavirus to ‘global public health’, the Hajj and Umrah ministry earlier said.
Only Saudi residents and citizens under 65 years old join the pilgrimage and must take mandatory coronavirus testing and undergo quarantine.
“This decision is taken to ensure Hajj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective while observing all preventative measures and the necessary social distancing protocols,” a statement from the ministry said.
About 2.5 million pilgrims performed Hajj last year, with more than 1.8 million of them traveling from overseas to perform one of the pillars of Islam.
Hajj 2020: Good health main criteria for selection of pilgrims, minister says
https://arab.news/6zrph
Hajj 2020: Good health main criteria for selection of pilgrims, minister says
- The selection process was conducted in a transparent manner
- About 2.5 million pilgrims performed Hajj last year
Saudi defense chief rallies international support amid escalating Iranian strikes
- Iran unleashes wave of drone strikes on Kingdom’s Eastern Province
- Missiles fired at Prince Sultan Air Base intercepted, destroyed
RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held separate phone calls with his Turkish, Romanian, and South Korean counterparts as Iranian attacks on Gulf facilities continued on Thursday.
Iran escalated strikes on its Gulf neighbors in retaliation for ongoing US-Israeli attacks on Iranian territory.
After a brief pause Wednesday, drone attacks on Saudi Arabia resumed at 9 p.m., targeting the Eastern Province and the Shaybah oil field in the Empty Quarter. All the drones were stopped, the Saudi Ministry of Defense confirmed.
Missiles aimed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj were also intercepted and shot down, the ministry added.
In his call with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Prince Khalid reaffirmed commitment to joint security measures and condemned Iranian aggression.
His conversation with Romanian counterpart Radu Miruta covered regional threats to global stability.
A call with South Korea’s Ahn Gyu-back similarly focused on condemning Iran’s actions and reviewing the broader regional picture.
The crisis traces back to February 28, when US and Israeli forces struck Iran. Tehran has since targeted Gulf states and US-Israeli assets across the region.
Iran has also declared a blockade on energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical chokepoint for global oil and gas flows — sending commodity prices surging.
