Saudi says to hold 'limited' hajj: state mediaIn this file photo taken on April 24, 2020, sanitation workers disinfect the area around the Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque. On Monday Saudi Arabia said it will hold a 'limited' hajj this year due to the coronavirus pandemicRIYADH - Saudi Arabia on Monday announced it would hold a "very limited" hajj this year, with pilgrims already in the kingdom allowed to perform the annual ritual as it moves to curb the coronavirus pandemic. "It was decided to hold the pilgrimage this year with very limited numbers... with different nationalities in the kingdom," the official Saudi Press Agency said, citing the hajj ministry. The decision to limit the event comes as Saudi Arabia struggles to contain a spike in infections, which have now risen to some 161,000 cases and more than 1,300 deaths. Monday's announcement that Saudi Arabia will hold a limited hajj would likely disappoint millions of Muslim pilgrims around the world who often invest their life savings and endure long waiting lists to make the trip.

Source: Bangkok Post June 22, 2020 19:18 UTC