Pilgrims from all around the world have arrived in Saudi Arabia as Hajj 2023 approaches.
Around 1 million Muslims have converged in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for the Hajj pilgrimage as part of the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call, and Guidance’s annual supervision and implementation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Hajj Guests Programme.
The Covid-19 epidemic reduced the number of pilgrims significantly in 2020 and 2021, making this the largest pilgrimage in three years.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Sheikh Dr Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, and General Supervisor of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Hajj Guests Programme, thanked the Custodian of the Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince for his generosity and eagerness to see Muslims perform Islamic rituals and for assisting those who wish to perform Hajj but can only do so at the expense of the
The minister emphasised that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques gesture stems from the Kingdom’s desire to serve Islam and Muslims and that this gesture, which allows thousands of Muslims from various continents to perform Hajj with distinguished services, is an annual initiative that the Saudi leadership has been eager to implement.
He added that the ministry has taken all necessary steps to carry out the royal order, including selecting pilgrims and providing them with all necessary assistance, including facilitating visa issuance and providing services from the moment they depart and during their stay in the Kingdom, in collaboration with the Kingdom’s embassies and religious attachés abroad, who are affiliated with the ministry.
According to the minister, the programme assists many Muslims from countries that were not previously included in the programme in fulfilling their dream, and the ministry has an annual plan to select as many people of different nationalities as possible who have not performed Hajj and assist them in doing so.
