Hajj 2023 applications now open to pilgrims inside Saudi Arabia

Applications for Hajj 2023 season is now open for pilgrims inside Saudi Arabia. (File/AFP)
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Updated 05 January 2023
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Hajj 2023 applications now open to pilgrims inside Saudi Arabia

  • Proof of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza jabs required
  • Obtaining a valid vaccination certificate for the ACYW quadruple meningitis vaccine at least 10 days before arriving at the holy sites will also be necessary

RIYADH: Muslims living in Saudi Arabia wanting to perform Hajj this year can now apply for the pilgrimage, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced on Thursday. 

In a statement, it revealed there would be four categories of Hajj packages available to local citizens and residents starting from SR3,984 ($1,060) and allowing for payment in full or by three instalments. 

Applicants must have national or resident identity valid until the middle of July. 

The minimum age for applications would be 12 with priority given to those who had not performed Hajj before. Where places became available, those who had previously performed Hajj would be included, and women’s male guardians would be excluded from the priority advantage, the ministry said. 

Proof of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza jabs would also be required in addition to obtaining a valid vaccination certificate for the ACYW quadruple meningitis vaccine at least 10 days before arriving at the holy sites. 

The ministry urged all applicants to register direct through its website and not to use the same mobile number for more than one application. 

Inquiries can be made via email at [email protected], by telephone on 920002814, or Twitter @MOHU_Care. 


Interior Ministry launches special passport stamp to mark King Abdulaziz Camel Festival

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Interior Ministry launches special passport stamp to mark King Abdulaziz Camel Festival

  • Festival being held in Al-Sayahid, north of Riyadh Region, in cooperation with Camel Club and will run until Jan. 3

JEDDAH: The General Directorate of Passports, part of the Ministry of Interior, has introduced a commemorative stamp to mark the 10th edition of the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

The festival is being held in Al-Sayahid, north of the Riyadh Region, in cooperation with the Camel Club and will run until Jan. 3.

The commemorative stamp will be available to travelers arriving at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, as well as at land ports in the Eastern Province.

The initiative “aims to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s cultural identity and highlight the camel’s status as a fundamental symbol of the Kingdom’s authentic heritage,” the SPA reported, adding that it is also part of the Ministry of Interior’s broader efforts to “document major national events and introduce them to visitors arriving in the Kingdom.”

“In a related initiative, Saudi Post, in collaboration with the General Entertainment Authority, issued a series of commemorative postage stamps in September,” the SPA noted. Those stamps were valued at SR3, along with a postcard valued at SR5, to coincide with celebrations marking the Kingdom’s 95th Saudi National Day under the slogan “Our Pride Is in Our Nature.”

That initiative “commemorated the unification of the Kingdom and its founding by King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, transforming the nation’s history into a narrative of pride, belonging and loyalty, while celebrating the occasion,” the SPA wrote.

The first commemorative postage stamp issued in Saudi Arabia was in the early 1930s. It marked the appointment of Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as crown prince.

Saudi postage stamps are “distinguished by built-in security features that prevent counterfeiting, ensure authenticity and protect institutional and intellectual property rights,” the SPA reported.