Hajj 2019: Saudi Arabia opens new website for Qatari pilgrims

The move comes after Doha blocked access to a previous website, leading to accusations of politicising the pilgrimage

Muslim pilgrims pray around the holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque. Reuters

Saudi Arabia has set up a new website for Qataris who wish to travel to Makkah and perform Hajj later this month.

The website was launched by the kingdom's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

The site allows pilgrims from Qatar to register, scour packages for the pilgrimage and pay for them.

The ministry said it hoped that Qatar would not restrict the site, as it did with a previous web page. It said that Doha's bid to make the pilgrimage political would not stop Riyadh's will to help all pilgrims with what they need to travel to Makkah.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut trade and transport ties with Qatar in 2017 over accusations that Doha funds extremist groups in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are providing assistance for millions of pilgrims travelling for Hajj,  which will start this weekend.

The UAE has dispatched a medical mission to Makkah to provide vital healthcare on the ground to pilgrims.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention has deployed a 70-strong delegation of doctors, nurses and administrators to offer support in the kingdom.

All Muslims who have the ability to make the pilgrimage are required to do so once in their life in a ritual that translates as "to attend a journey". Millions make the journey every year and many travel north to the city of Madinah.

The Saudi government restricts numbers from each country to avoid overcrowding,  with about two million attending last year.

Those who are unable to perform the pilgrimage for financial or health reasons are exempt. If they can afford it, Muslims can have someone perform Hajj on their behalf, with Sharia advising they fund someone who would otherwise be unable to attend.

It lasts between four to six days, depending on how fast the pilgrims can complete the process.