Saudi Arabia lifts Haj quota cuts
Saudi Arabia lifts Haj quota cuts
Saudi Arabia has decided to lift from this year the reduction in the
quota of Haj pilgrims imposed five years ago. It said the higher
authorities approved a proposal by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif,
deputy premier and minister of interior who is also chairman of the
Supreme Haj Committee, to restore the pilgrimage quota that existed
prior to the cut, Saudi Gazette reported.
Minister
of Haj and Umrah on Thursday thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King Salman, Crown Prince Muhammad, and Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin
Salman for lifting the reduction in the quota of both domestic and
foreign pilgrims.
He
said that the concerned authorities have made preparations to receive
the additional number of pilgrims for the forthcoming Haj. Bantan said
this while receiving heads of Haj delegations from Arab and Islamic
countries at his office in Jeddah.
The
authorities imposed a 20 percent cut in the quota for foreign pilgrims
coming from each country while the number of people allowed to perform
Haj within the Kingdom was reduced by 50 percent to ensure the safety of
pilgrims during the largest ever expansion in the history of the Grand
Mosque, which is nearing completion, as well as the expansion of mataf
(circumambulating area around the Holy Kaba) and massive projects at the
Holy Sites.
- 06 January 2017
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