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| Saudis urge Hajj delay over Expansions | | |
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia is restricting the number of pilgrims for this year’s hajj over ongoing expansions at the holy sites in Makkah, amid appeals to the faithful to postpone the spiritual journey.
“This is an exceptional and temporary decision,” Bandar Hajjar, minister of Hajj was quoted as saying by SPA state news agency.
“The expansion plans [of the Al Masjid Al Haram] aim to provide safety and as much services as possible for pilgrims.”
Saudi authorities said they will reduce the numbers of pilgrims coming from within the kingdom by half.
The numbers of overseas pilgrims will be reduced by 20 percent.
Saudi officials say the cuts aim to avoid stampedes during hajj and ensure the safety of the Muslim pilgrims.
Saudi Arabia is currently working to expand the two holy mosques in Makkah to accommodate more pilgrims in the coming years.
Approved by King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz in 2011, the latest expansion would cover an area of 400,000 sq. meters to accommodate 1.2 million worshippers.
The total area of the existing Haram Mosque is 356,000 sq. meters accommodating 770,000 worshippers.
The Mataf [the circumambulation areas around the Kaaba, the heart of Al Masjid Al Haram] will also see expansion.
Hatem Qadi, deputy hajj minister and spokesman of the ministry, underlined the need to reduce the number of foreign and domestic pilgrims this year.
"The period for cutting the number of pilgrims will not exceed two years," he said.
He said the decision was essential to ensure the pilgrims’ safety.
"The ongoing expansion is for the benefit of pilgrims.”
Muslims from around the world pour into Makkah every year to perform hajj.
Some 3.1 million pilgrims performed the Hajj last year, most of them from abroad. |
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