Saudi Arabia cancels Hajj pilgrimage for foreigners

Every year, Saudi Arabia welcomes millions of Muslims from around the world for the hajj pilgrimage. This sacred rite pumps cash into the economy and enhances the prestige of the monarch.

But not this year.

Saudi Arabia said that only “very limited numbers” of pilgrims could perform the hajj this year, with only Saudis and foreign nationals already in the kingdom allowed to take part, Report says, citing Sky Arabia News.

The dramatic shrinkage of the largest annual rite in Islam could hit Saudi Arabia particularly hard, with a reduced pilgrimage delivering a further financial blow to a kingdom already grappling with low oil prices and an economic slowdown caused by the lockdowns aimed at preventing contagion.

It could also disappoint Muslims from around the world who have saved for years to have a once-in-a-lifetime religious experience.