Saudi Arabia said on Monday it will bar arrivals from abroad to attend the haj this year due to the coronavirus, allowing only a limited number of Saudi citizens and residents to make the pilgrimage with social distancing measures enforced. The number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia has exceeded 1,60,000, with 1,307 deaths, following a rise in new infections over the past two weeks. Some 2.5 million pilgrims typically visit the holiest sites of Islam in Mecca and Medina for the week-long haj. Official data show Saudi Arabia earns around $12 billion a year from the haj and the lesser, year-round pilgrimage known as umrah. Earlier this month, Malaysia and Indonesia both barred their citizens from travelling to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage, citing fears of the coronavirus.

Source: The Hindu June 22, 2020 20:15 UTC