In a widely-expected move, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced on 22 June that this year’s Hajj – which is due to start in late July – will be restricted to “a very limited number of pilgrims” due to the risk presented by the coronavirus pandemic. The precise number of devotees who will be allowed to perform the week-long pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina has not been announced, but there have been suggestions the figure may be as low as 1,000 people.
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