For the first time since the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, Saudi Arabia is considering canceling the Hajj this year.
According to Golf News, a senior official of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia while talking to the British newspaper Financial Times said that the number of cases of Corona virus in the kingdom has exceeded one lakh. He said that the matter was being taken very seriously and every aspect related to it was being scrutinized while a formal announcement would be made within a week.
The Hajj is one of the largest gatherings in the world, with nearly two million people arriving in Saudi Arabia from around the world.
According to the report, in March, when the spread of the corona virus began to increase, Saudi Arabia had asked all countries to suspend the Hajj plan while Umrah was banned.
According to the British news agency Reuters, some Saudi officials think that the Hajj should be canceled this year. According to Reuters, two high-ranking officials have also said that talks are underway to allow some people to perform Hajj. Elderly people should be banned and strict medical precautions should be taken and if strict instructions are issued, Saudi Arabia believes that only 20% of its total capacity should be allowed to perform Hajj.
In the current situation, Indonesia, a country with a large Muslim population, has announced not to send its citizens on Hajj, while Malaysia has also decided to do the same.
In addition, the Hajj Committee of India also says that the chances of paying Hajj this year are very low.
