Hajj 2023: Dates, cost, packages and what you need to know

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for every Muslim, if they are able

Hajj pilgrims pray at Mount Arafat during the annual pilgrimage. EPA

This year, Hajj will return to pre-pandemic numbers as Saudi Arabia removes all Covid-19 restrictions.

Last year's pilgrimage, the first largely without Covid-19 restrictions in two years, attracted almost a million domestic and foreign pilgrims.

In 2019, before the pandemic, about 2.6 million people performed Hajj.

Saudi Arabia has said those wishing to perform Hajj have to apply online.

Hajj generates about $12 billion in revenue for the country every year.

Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Abdul Fattah Mashat said Hajj, as well as Umrah, a shorter pilgrimage that can be performed at any time of the year, are major components of the Saudi Vision 2030.

One of the programme's aims is to boost the religious tourism sector and host 30 million Umrah pilgrims annually by 2030.

What is Hajj?

Hajj, the Arabic word for pilgrimage, is one of the five pillars of Islam and a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for every Muslim, if they are able.

Millions of faithful make the pilgrimage to holiest sites of Islam in the cities of Makkah and Madinah, beginning on the eighth day of Dhu Al Hijja, the last month of the Islamic calendar.

What is special about Hajj?

Hajj is the most revered spiritual experience for devout Muslims – considered a chance to start afresh and celebrate the spirit of unity in Islam. Pilgrims are all required to perform the same rituals taught by the Prophet Mohammed, to remind them that they are all equal before God.

When does Hajj begin this year? How long does it take?

This year, Hajj is expected to begin on June 26. The pilgrimage takes three days, but most pilgrims extend their stay by a week to pray in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.

Will Hajj be open to international pilgrims?

The ministry opened registration for Hajj 2023 in February for international pilgrims and to give those who had performed Hajj more than five years ago another chance to apply for a permit.

The ministry said that priority for registration this year will go to those who have not made the pilgrimage before.

A new pilgrim can accompany a main applicant, provided they highlight their first-time status in their application.

Most pilgrims arrive at the airport in Jeddah, which is the major city closest to Makkah.

Muslim pilgrims at the tent city on a mountainside in the town of Mina, near Makkah, in November 2009. The pilgrims began the final rituals of Hajj that year by stoning the devil and circling the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP

Pilgrims carry their belongings to their tents in Mina in March 1999. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims spent the night at the tent city before end of the pilgrimage. AFP

Pilgrims rest inside their tents erected on a mountaintop in Mina on the first day of the Eid Al Adha in March 2000. AFP

Tents erected in Mina for pilgrims to spend the first day of Eid Al Adha, or the feast of sacrifice, in March 1999. The feast marks the end of the annual pilgrimage. AFP

The tent city in Mina in October 2013. Pilgrims pelted pillars symbolising the devil with pebbles to show their defiance on the third day of Hajj that year as Muslims worldwide marked Eid Al Adha. AFP

Saudi police cars pass near the fireproof, air-conditioned tents in Mina in March 2000. The tents hosted about two million pilgrims during the last four days of Hajj. AFP

Saudi authorities erected about 43,000 air-conditioned tents to accommodate two million pilgrims in March 2000. AFP

The tent city in Mina. Balquees Basalom / The National

Workers prepare a camp in Mina before the arrival of pilgrims in July 2021. AP

The pilgrimage to Makkah is required once in the lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to make it. AP

The pilgrimage, which used to draw more than two million people, was curtailed in July 2021, for a second straight year, due to the coronavirus. AP

Only vaccinated people in Saudi Arabia were able to participate in the pilgrimage last year. AP

A Saudi soldier stands guard outside the tent city in Mina last year. AP

A doctor works in a camp clinic in Mina last year. AP

Water is sprayed to bring down the temperature at the tent city in Mina last year. AP

Saudi pilgrim Irak Al Dofairy, 65, right, reads the Quran on his mobile phone, at the tent city last July. AP

The tent city in Mina, on the eve of the start of Hajj last year. AFP

A police vehicle patrols the tent city in Mina last July. AP

An aerial view of the tent city of Mina in November 2011. AP

What are the Hajj packages available this year?

The Hajj ministry announced four categories of packages for domestic pilgrims performing Hajj this year.

The price of domestic pilgrim packages will begin at 3,984 Saudi riyals ($1,060).

The most expensive package will cost 11,435 riyals, with pilgrims accommodated in the six towers in Mina, near Jamarat.

What are the heath guidelines performing Hajj this year?

Authorities have outlined procedures that must be followed at entry points within and before entering the country. These include verification of all health documents, including vaccination certificates, and screening in person.

Pilgrims will be divided into groups for transport to holy sites.

Saudi health authorities said they would continue to assess and update the precautions as needed.

What do pilgrims wear during Hajj?

During Hajj, as with Umrah, men wear two sheets of plain white cloth, to cover the upper and lower body. Women must wear modest clothes that cover their bodies to the ankle and scarves to cover their hair. The clothes are usually white, although there is no restriction on colour.

What happens during Hajj?

On the first day, Muslims perform Umrah, which includes Tawaf and Sa'i. The first involves circumambulating the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam, built by the Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail, at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. During Sa'i, pilgrims walk seven times between two hills, called Safa and Marwa, in the mosque complex.

After Umrah, Muslims travel to Mina, a holy site south-east of Makkah, by shuttle and camp there in tents overnight. Mina, also known as the city of tents, can host up to three million people.

On the second day, pilgrims travel to Mount Arafat, 5km from Makkah, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his last sermon.

Pilgrims spend the day praying at Arafat until sunset, then walk 7km to the third holy site, Muzdalifah. There, they perform the sunset and night prayers and spend the night worshipping under the open sky.

On the third morning, the pilgrims gather pebbles and return to Mina for the stoning ceremony. They throw seven pebbles each at Jamrat Al Aqabah, a stone monument that signifies the temptations of Satan, between sunrise and sunset.

The pilgrims’ three concluding acts include sacrificing an animal to feed people in need, which can be done by purchasing a voucher, and cutting or shaving their hair, then returning to Makkah for another Umrah. Most women cut a few strands of hair, while men prefer to shave it all off.