Special Care Provided to Elderly, Sick Pilgrims in Mecca

IQNA – Sick and elderly pilgrims are receiving special assistance in Mecca as more than 1.5 million have arrived in the holy city to perform the Hajj pilgrimage set to begin on Friday.

Saudi officials expect the number of pilgrims this year to exceed that of 2023, when more than 1.8 million people performed Hajj, approaching pre-pandemic levels.

In 2019, more than 2.4 million Muslims made the pilgrimage. Saudi authorities control the flow of pilgrims through quotas, allowing each country one pilgrim for every thousand Muslim citizens.

The annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the pillars of Islam, will start on Friday. 

All Muslims are expected to complete the Hajj at least once in their lives, if they have the means to do so.

Source: The National