Riyadh: Saudi Arabia will remove restrictions during Hajj 2023 and it will host the number of Hajj pilgrims in the upcoming season similar to the pre-pandemic levels.
According to the Hajj minister, the Kingdom will not impose any restrictions, including age limits, on Hajj pilgrims in 2023.
Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced this by tweeting, “During the opening of #Hajj_Expo 2023, H.E. Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq AlRabiah announces: “Number of Hajj pilgrims in 1444H will return to how it was before the Coronavirus pandemic without age restrictions.”
However, as reported by the local media, the ministry of Hajj and Umrah had earlier made it clear that this year priority will be given to those who have not performed the pilgrimage before.
Hajj season is expected to begin on June 26 in 2023.
In 2019, before the pandemic, some 2.6 million people performed the Hajj. However, coronavirus prompted the Saudi kingdom in the next two years to allow only limited numbers from its residents. In 2022, it welcomed back one million foreign pilgrims.
