According to the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, the number of pilgrims performing Hajj will be the same as before the COVID pandemic.

After three years of restrictions to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister announced that all age requirements for pilgrims will be lifted.

In Jeddah from Jan. 9-12, 2023, Al-Rabiah spoke at the opening ceremony of Expo Hajj, the conference and exhibition of Hajj and Umrah services.

He said: “From this year’s Hajj season we will allow Hajj missions from around the world to agree with any authorized company to provide services in the Kingdom.”

“Together with our partners, we launched NUSK platform to facilitate procedures and enrich the experience of the pilgrims.”

Umrah pilgrims' insurance was reduced by 63 percent from SR235 to SR88. By 73 percent, Hajj pilgrims' insurance was reduced from SR109 to SR29.

The Umrah visa has been extended from 30 days to 90 days, enabling its holder to travel throughout the kingdom.

Any visitor with a valid visa to the Kingdom can perform Umrah and visit Madinah,” he said.

“We worked with partners to enrich the cultural experience after performing the rituals and developing and activating Islamic historical sites related to the Prophet's biography.”

In the coming years, the Kingdom plans to restore 100 Islamic historical sites.

Al-Rabiah pointed out that the Kingdom invested over SR200 billion in the expansion of the Grand Mosque, making it the largest construction project in history.

“We have not neglected the development of facilities and infrastructure, and we have worked with our partners to increase the seat capacity.”

We built King Abdulaziz Airport, the largest airport in the Kingdom, with more than SR40 billion to serve pilgrims,” he said.

He also said that the Haramain Express Train, which connects Makkah and Al-Madinah, costs over SR64 billion.

All Muslims should at least once in their lives perform the Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam.

Usually one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, about 2.5 million people attended in 2019.

Hajj pilgrims averaged nearly 2,3 million each year between 2009 and 2019. After the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, authorities announced they would only allow 1,000 pilgrims to participate.

60,000 Saudi Arabian citizens and residents were vaccinated through a lottery the following year. Over the past three years, only vaccinated Muslims under 65 were allowed to go on pilgrimage.

The number of Hajj pilgrims reached 899,353 in 2022, as COVID-19 restrictions were eased.