Saudi authorities are gearing up for a busy Hajj season, which is due to start on June 25.
The kingdom will begin receiving pilgrims on Saturday with the tally of visitors expected to be the highest since before the pandemic.
To help manage the numbers, residents and international tourists have been barred from entering Makkah without a permit.
“One must have an Umrah permit prior to Hajj starting if they want to go now,” said Faisal Al Shehri, a Hajj guide in Jeddah. “But closer to Hajj, they will have very strict measures in place and the number of people allowed to go to Makkah will be cut off to accommodate millions of Hajj pilgrims and their rituals,”
The Ministry of Interior said four categories of people will be allowed into Makkah under the new rules, which began on Monday and will last until the end of the Hajj season.
They are those who hold an entry permit to work in the holy sites, a resident ID issued by the holy city, an Umrah permit or a Hajj permit.
The Directorate of Passports said it had begun accepting electronic applications for entry permits for residents including domestic workers and non-Saudi family members, workers housed in Makkah, temporary work visa holders and contractors registered in the country during Hajj season.
Pilgrims wishing to perform Umrah can use the government's Nusuk app to pay online for electronic visas and accommodation, and book flights.
This year, Hajj will return to pre-pandemic numbers as the country will remove all Covid-19 restrictions. In 2019, before the pandemic, about 2.6 million people performed Hajj.
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Saudi workers put the final touches to the kiswa, the drape that covers the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure at the heart the Grand Mosque, in Makkah. AP -
A Muslim pilgrim arrives at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP -
A child plays outside the Grand Mosque. AFP -
Pilgrims feed cats on Jabal Al Noor in Makkah. AFP -
Pilgrims pray on Jabal Al Noor. AFP -
Muslim pilgrims are pictured at Jabal Al Noor. AFP -
Muslim pilgrims climb Jabal Al Noor. AFP -
A Bangladeshi pilgrim poses for a selfie in front of the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque. AP -
Pigeons surround pilgrims outside the Grand Mosque. AP -
Embroiderer Ahmed Othman El Kassabgy, right, whose family produces the Kiswa, the cloth used to cover the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque, supervises an employee who works on a replica drape to be sold as a souvenir in Cairo, Egypt. AFP -
Saudi policemen monitor cameras at the Grand Mosque ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage. AP -
Saudi policewoman Samah Mohammed receives a call at the Saudi National Centre for Security Operations ahead of Hajj. AP -
Makkah is set to host more than one million people, including 850,000 from abroad, for the hajj pilgrimage. AFP -
Saudi security forces take part in a parade in Makkah. AFP -
The Grand Mosque. AFP -
Saudi honor guards line up during a parade in preparation for the Hajj pilgrimage. AP -
Muslim worshippers read from the Quran at the Grand Mosque. AFP -
Muslim worshippers gather at the Grand Mosque. AFP -
Worshippers gather before the Kaaba, the sacred cube-shaped building at the centre of the Grand Mosque. AFP -
Worshippers arrive at the Grand Mosque. AFP -
Worshippers arrive at the Grand Mosque. AFP -
Worshippers arrive at the Grand Mosque. AFP -
Worshippers arrive at the Grand Mosque. AFP -
Pilgrims offer prayers before Hajj. SPA -
Pilgrims arrive in Madinah. SPA -
Pilgrims offer prayers. SPA -
Coachloads of pilgrims arrive in Madinah. SPA -
Pilgrims at prayer. SPA -
Moroccan pilgrims arrive at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. SPA -
Hajj pilgrims from Sudan arrive at Jeddah Port. SPA
