What are the Covid restrictions at Hajj 2021?

Despite the pandemic-enforced curbs, pilgrims will experience 'a qualitative leap' in services with the introduction of smart cards

Convoys of Muslim pilgrims travel from all over the world to Makkah to undertake Hajj.

Pilgrims drive cars alongside others riding camels toward Makkah during Hajj.

Jamarat - the stoning of the devil - sees pilgrims cast stones at three pillars in Mina, just outside Makkah, as part of Hajj.

On the ninth day of Dhu Al Hijjah - the last month of the Islamic calendar - the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah is covered by a cloth called the Kiswa.

The Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah in March 1933. According to Muslim tradition, pilgrims who can gain access to the Kaaba's black stone stop to kiss it while performing Hajj.

Hajj pilgrims gather in Makkah in November 1948.

Crowds of pilgrims near Makkah prepare for Hajj in November 1948.

Tents provide shelter to Hajj pilgrims near Makkah in 1948.

Pilgrims gather around the Grand Mosque in Makkah in November 1948.

Worshippers reach the Kaaba during Hajj in 1953.

Hajj pilgrim Fouad Al Darkzli in Arafat.

The Kaaba is surrounded by pilgrims in March 1967, with the entrance to the Zamzam Well on the left.

Pilgrims arrive at Makkah airport in August 1968.

Street traders sell drinks to Hajj pilgrims in Makkah in August 1968.

Pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia by ship in August 1968.

Muslims arrive at Makkah airport for Hajj in August 1968.

Muslims arrive at Makkah airport to participate in the pilgrimage in August 1968.

The scene inside the Grand Mosque in Makkah during Hajj in 1968.

Muslims gather around the Kaaba as they participate in the Hajj pilgrimage in 1979.

Pilgrims perform the Tawaf, the circumambulation of the Kaaba, during Hajj.

The Kaaba at the centre of the Grand Mosque in Makkah during the Hajj pilgrimage in 1979.

Thousands of pilgrims cross the Iraq-Saudi Arabia border near Arar in March 1999 after Riyadh said it would issue them visas to participate in Hajj.

Pilgrims arrive at the Grand Mosque in Makkah in March 2000, when more than one million Muslims travelled to the city.

About 1.3 million people participated in the Hajj pilgrimage in February 2001.

Iraqis travel to Makkah by bus in 2004, after the ousting of Saddam Hussein led to the removal of restrictions on who could make the pilgrimage.

Millions of pilgrims participating in Hajj in 2004 arrive in Mina to camp in what was called the largest tent city in the world.

Pilgrims participating in Hajj in 2004 perform the Jamarat ritual, when Muslims must throw 21 stones at three pillars in Mina.

Muslims performing Hajj in 2004 make their way to the summit of Jabal Al Nour near Makkah.

A pilgrim stands on a bridge overlooking Mina, where about two million Muslims camped during Hajj in January 2004.

Pilgrims performing Hajj in January 2004 touch the monument at the summit of Jabal Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed gave his last sermon.

Two Saudi boys sit at the summit of Jabal Al Nour in 2004.

Pilgrims pray at the top of Jabal Al Nour in January 2004. Although climbing the mountain is not part of the pilgrimage, many Muslims make their way to the summit each year.

A Hajj pilgrim prays on Jabal Arafat in 2004.

Pilgrims from Jordan are flown to Makkah from Amman in 2005.

Pilgrims gather at the Kabba to pray in 2005.

About two million pilgrims from around the world attend the Friday prayer at the Grand Mosque during Hajj in 2005.

Pilgrims gather at Jabal Arafat, south-east of Makkah, in January 2006.

A Saudi man at the Kiswa factory in Makkah creates a drape bearing Islamic calligraphy to cover the Kaaba in 2008. The Kiswa is changed every year.

Hajj pilgrims seek shelter during heavy rain in Makkah in 2009.

A pilgrim prays on top of Jabal Al Noor in Makkah in November 2010. Reuters

Pilgrims gather at the base of Mount Mercy, on the plains of Arafat, in October 2013. Reuters

A Muslim girl touches the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah in September 2015. Reuters

Hajj pilgrims circle the Kaaba in August 2017. AFP

Pilgrims hold coloured umbrellas along matching coloured rings separating them, part of a Covid-19 safety measure, as they circle the Kaaba in July 2020. AFP

A pilgrim looks over Makkah from on top Jabal Al Noor in July 2022. AFP

Follow the latest updates on Hajj 2021 here

Hajj 2021 will be a smaller affair than the usual millions flocking to Makkah and Madinah. The coronavirus pandemic has forced Saudi authorities to limit pilgrims to 60,000 people already in the kingdom and take a host of other measures to keep worshippers safe.

“The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has in a way redesigned the entire journey of Hajj catering to 60,000 pilgrims this year,” a Hajj official told The National.

Measures such as introduction of smart cards for all pilgrims have allowed authorities to increase numbers of worshippers by 59,000 in the first year of the global pandemic, which has killed more than four million people worldwide and 7,992 in Saudi Arabia.

Last year, only about 1,000 pilgrims were allowed to perform the Hajj as authorities decided to scale down the pilgrimage drastically to stem the spread of the pandemic.

Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr Abdel Fattah Mashat, and Governor of Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al Faisal inspected all Hajj sites on Monday to ensure health protocols were in place before the start of Hajj season on July 18. The day of Arafat will be on July 19.

The Hajj ministry said the smart card “represents a qualitative leap in the business system, with multiple facilities in one card”.

The card, issued to every pilgrim, will contain their personal information and help guide them to their camps, use available transport and access important locations.

It will be linked to all services and can be used at ATMs, to withdraw cash and pay for items in shops. It will further help Hajj authorities to control movement of pilgrims in and out of the camps.

Eating and sleeping

To avoid pilgrims gathering in large groups, packed meals will be provided to each pilgrim in their camps.

Authorities say they have ensured the highest level of food quality and that meals meet the nutritional requirements of pilgrims. Previously, pilgrims were allowed to gather and eat together as food was served in designated dining areas.

"I remember we would gather in a group of 40 people and have ice cream and conversations for hours by the roadside in those mini-cafeterias during Hajj," Adnan Saddiq, a Canadian resident in the kingdom, told The National. "It is one of my most prized memories of the Hajj season. But it seems this year, people won't be able to have those connections and will be restricted to companions allotted to them."

Social distancing will be enforced in the housing camps in Mina, which will host four people in one tent.

To avoid crowding and congestion, no visitors will be allowed into the camps.

Visual and thermal screening is set up on entry to camps as part of precautionary measures.

Transport

Hajj authorities will enforce social distancing measures during the pilgrimage, using 3,000 buses to transport them from different pilgrimage sites. Only 20 pilgrims and a group leader will be allowed on each bus. Buses will be the only way to get around Makkah this year.

To avoid crowding, the Al Shumaisi Security Control Centre will observe and control traffic over an area of 1.6 million square metres.

Authorities say the state-of-the-art system will provide a digital gateway that facilitates traffic and aims to reduce the waiting period for pilgrims arriving in Makkah from 45 to seven minutes during peak hours. More vehicle lanes have been added, increasing the total from six to 16 with ne lanes introduced for emergency vehicles, buses, and lorries.

The Al Zaidi Reception Centre in Makkah is responsible for issuing the smart Hajj card and offer other hospitality services, including transferring pilgrims and their luggage to the holy sites during Hajj. The centre also has a car park with a capacity for 8,000 vehicles.

The Hajj ministry requires workers to take online development courses that aim to enhance the skills of Hajj workers and help them follow security and safety procedures to avoid accidents and injuries.

The Haramian affairs, a Saudi government agency responsible for the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, said they will allocate 20 entrances to the courtyard during this year's Hajj.

To ensure social distancing, the tawaf circle in the Grand Mosque will have 25 lanes, each 1.5 metres apart.

Smart robots have been introduced for sterilisation and help serve Zam Zam water to pilgrims this year in an effort to help reduce the chance of contamination and crowding.

The Minister of Transport on Tuesday announced the readiness of the Haramain train station in Jeddah to serve pilgrims, after last year's fire.