Saudi Arabia to bar arrivals from abroad to attend the haj

Official data show Saudi Arabia earns around US$12 billion a year from the haj and the lesser, year-round pilgrimage known as umrah. Earlier this month, Malaysia and Indonesia both barred their citizens from travelling to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage, citing fears of the coronavirus (An aerial view of Kaaba at the Grand mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia August 12, 2019. - Reuters)

CAIRO: Saudi Arabia said on Monday it will bar arrivals from abroad to attend the haj this year due to the coronavirus, allowing only a limited number of Saudi citizens and residents to make the pilgrimage with social distancing measures enforced.

The announcement means this will be the first year in modern times that Muslims from around the world have not been allowed to make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which all Muslims aim to perform at least once in a lifetime.