Saudi Arabia Announces Hajj, Says Touching Kaaba Is Banned This Year

Saudi Arabia Announces Hajj, Says Touching Kaaba Is Banned This Year

via https://youtu.be/tl3197vATzA Saudi Arabia announced health protocols to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in the 2020 hajj season. It has also banned gatherings and meetings between pilgrims, the state news agency said on Monday. Saudi Arabia decided in June to limit the number of domestic pilgrims attending the hajj to around 1,000 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. It also barred Muslims abroad from the rite for the first year in modern times. Touching the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam is banned during the hajj this year. Also, access to holy hajj sites at Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat will be limited to those with hajj permits starting Sunday, July 19 till August 2, 2020, and wearing masks all the time will be mandatory for both pilgrims and organizers. Hajj 2020 Some 2.5 million pilgrims typically visit the holiest sites of Islam in Makkah and Madina for the week-long hajj. Official data shows Saudi Arabia earns around $12 billion a year from the haj and the lesser, year-round pilgrimage known as umrah, which remains suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is keen to enable all Muslims of different nationalities to perform haj but the global health circumstances this year led us to make this haj an exception — Hajj Minister Mohammed Benten Pakistan Ka Showbiz