UAE24x7
  • UAE
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Food & Drink
  • Expo 2020
No Result
View All Result
  • UAE
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Food & Drink
  • Expo 2020
No Result
View All Result
UAE24x7
No Result
View All Result
Home Around UAE

Hajj pilgrims arrive at Mecca following strict health precautions

Shehin by Shehin
July 26, 2020
in Around UAE
0
Hajj pilgrims arrive at Mecca following strict health precautions
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Mecca: The pilgrims have arrived at Mecca for the Hajj ceremonies this year. Hajj would be the most controlled one with many precautions, this year, in its history due to the Covid-19 threat that sustains on the planet. No any pilgrims from other countries are allowed this year, except those who were residing in Saudi Arabia before the pandemic hit.

The first pilgrim group arrived was from the Qassim province. They had landed in King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah and later transported to hotels in Mecca. Shortly after this flight, more of them came from Madinah, Riyadh, Abha, Tabuk and Jizan on Saturday.

As per the Hajj precautions guidelines given to the pilgrims, they have to observe quarantine in their hotels till the Hajj ceremonies start. Also, they will have to remain in quarantine after the Hajj, before their return.

Hajj precautions
Hajj volunteers in social distancing to welcome pilgrims at Jeddah airport

Mr. Hussain Al Sharif, the Undersecretary for Hajj Affairs said that the precautions for a smooth Hajj are analysed to be excellent. “As soon as they arrived, they were directed from the officials of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to the buses designated for them, while applying the approved health preventive protocols approved in the process of transportation,” he said.

This year, only around 1,000 believers take part in Hajj. The depth of the restrictions due to the pandemic becomes clearer when we come to know that, last year around 2.5 million arrived. Participation has been limited to residents of the kingdom, with a special quota for those who have been on the frontline against the coronavirus outbreak. Around 70 per cent of attendees are foreign nationals residing in the kingdom and 30 per cent are locals.

While strict health measures are taken, Saudi reported 2,201 new cases in the previous 24 hours, taking its total to 264,973. The kingdom’s death toll from Covid-19 totals to 2,703, while recoveries rose by 2,051 to 217,782, as per the statistics from the Saudi health ministry.

Hajj precautions
Hajj pilgrims around Kaaba in Mecca in 2019 [File photo]

The officials said anyone trying to attend Hajj without a permit would face hefty fines and even jail time. The security services have erected a cordon around the main Hajj sites to ensure the safety of attendees. Those who are found to be transporting non-permit holders to the sites of Hajj will also be fined. “Hajj this year is very different and exceptional,” Major-General Zayed Al-Tuyan, commander of Hajj Security, said. “Hajj will be in very limited numbers under strict precautionary measures, and we will impose a complete security cordon around holy places and pilgrims during their movements.”

The ‘zamzam’ (the holy water) will be given only as bottled water from the Zamzam well, this year, the Authority said. The stones to be pelt at Jamrat as a part of the ceremony will be given sterilized to the pilgrims.

Olivier Barles, Regional Medical Director at International SOS in Dubai, said pilgrims would still have to watch out for heatstroke, dehydration, food poisoning and exhaustion while undertaking Hajj as they would every year.

Even in a regular year, the Hajj leaves pilgrims exposed to a host of viral illnesses. “A lot of people want to do the Hajj this year as it will likely be less burdensome and more organised due to a smaller crowd,” Umar Karim, a visiting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said.

“In the context of Covid-19, pilgrims are advised to keep a safe distance between each other, to wear face masks and gloves and maintain a high degree of personal hygiene by washing hands frequently,” Mr. Barles said.

Plugin Install : Widget Tab Post needs JNews - View Counter to be installed
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
How to check UAE visa status & validity using only passport

How to check UAE visa status & validity using only passport

September 10, 2021
The most important advice that every tourist should take into account when visiting Dubai

The most important advice that every tourist should take into account when visiting Dubai

July 25, 2020
The Top & Most Popular Seafood Bucket Restaurants in Dubai for you [Never Miss]

The Top & Most Popular Seafood Bucket Restaurants in Dubai for you [Never Miss]

September 23, 2021
Procedures for Renewing the Driving License in Abu Dhabi [3 Simple Steps]

Procedures for Renewing the Driving License in Abu Dhabi [3 Simple Steps]

September 21, 2021
Is classroom education a distant dream now?

Is classroom education a distant dream now?

0
Is classroom education a distant dream now?

Asia’s Biggest Book Market Damaged Beyond Belief!

0

Entertainment locations reopened in Sharjah including hotels and beach.

0

Impacts of Corona virus on the environment.

0
Top things to do in Abu Dhabi in the coming long weekend

Abu Dhabi Golf Club

August 25, 2023
UAE: New tenants to pay more for smaller homes due to rising rents

UAE as a Tourist Destination

August 25, 2023
Best Things to do at Expo 2020 Dubai in November

The future of AI holds significant potential and possibilities across various domains.

August 25, 2023
Expo 2020 Dubai 2 pavilions to reopen on September 1; Here are the Details

Movies In Dubai

August 25, 2023
UAE24x7

Menus

  • UAE
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Food & Drink
  • Expo 2020

Recent News

Top things to do in Abu Dhabi in the coming long weekend

Abu Dhabi Golf Club

August 25, 2023
UAE: New tenants to pay more for smaller homes due to rising rents

UAE as a Tourist Destination

August 25, 2023
No Result
View All Result
  • UAE
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Food & Drink
  • Expo 2020

© 2021 UAE24X7

Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}