Hajj 2023: King Salman offers to host 1,000 Palestinian pilgrims

Saudi Arabia drive has enabled more than 43,000 Palestinians to perform Hajj over the past 22 years

Pilgrims arrive on the plains of Mount Arafat, south-east of Makkah, as part of Hajj last year. EPA

Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Saturday issued a royal order to host 1,000 Palestinian pilgrims for this year's Hajj.

The hosting of relatives of wounded, killed and imprisoned Palestinians is part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Hajj Guests Programme in association with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

“The continuation of this generous gesture towards the pilgrims of Palestine who perform Hajj every year at the expense of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques comes as an affirmation to the depth of the relationship and his appreciation of the great sacrifices made by the Palestinian people," said Sheikh Dr Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance.

Yemeni Muslims prepare to board a flight heading to Makkah. AFP

A passport control officer checks the travel documents of a Palestinian pilgrim at the Rafah crossing point with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP

Iraqi pilgrims prepare to fly to Makkah for Haj, at Baghdad airport. AP Photo

Palestinian pilgrims at the Rafah crossing point with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP

Husin bin Nisan, right, bids farewell to relatives before departure for the Hajj pilgrimage at his house in Tangerang, Indonesia. AP Photo

Saadiha Khaliq with books she read to prepare for her pilgrimage, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Khaliq family plan to travel together to Makkah in Saudi Arabia for Hajj. AP Photo

Iraqi pilgrims walk around the model of Kaaba during a lecture on performing the Hajj rituals in Tikrit, Iraq. AP Photo

Syrian pilgrims register for a training session on how to perform Hajj rituals in Hazzanu, Idlib province. AFP

A Syrian man bids an elderly woman farewell as Hajj pilgrims board a bus in Sarmada on the first leg of their journey to Saudi Arabia. AFP

A man bids another farewell as pilgrims board a bus in Sarmada town before leaving for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. AFP

People bid relatives farewell as pilgrims board a bus in Sarmada town in Syria's north-western Idlib province. AFP

Muslim pilgrims arriving from north-western Syrian areas pass baggage checks at the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey. AFP

Pilgrims arrive at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, as they prepare to fly to Saudi Arabia. AFP

A Kashmiri pilgrim waves goodbye. EPA

A pilgrim is embraced by her relative before leaving for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. AFP

The first flights from Malaysia have arrived in Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Route Initiative. SPA

It has been expanded to Turkey and the Ivory Coast this year, joining Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco and Bangladesh. SPA

All Hajj pilgrims this year must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and aged under 65. AFP

They must also present a negative PCR test conducted within 72 hours of their departure flight. AFP

A pilgrim takes his luggage after inspection in Baghdad. AFP

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for every Muslim. AFP

More than 43,000 pilgrims have benefited from the scheme since it was introduced 22 years ago.

This year's annual pilgrimage, which is expected to attract people from all over the world, begins on June 26.

On Friday, a flight from Kerala, south-west India, arrived carrying women pilgrims and an all-female crew as an increasing number of Muslim women participate in Hajj without a male guardian under a new incentive by the Saudi government.

More than 2.6 million people are expected to perform Hajj this year as the number of pilgrims returns to pre-pandemic levels after the kingdom removed Covid-19 restrictions.