Saudi Arabia has allowed foreigner for Hajj this year, reported 24News TV HD channel on Saturday.

According to Saudi media reports, the foreign Hajis will be allowed for pilgrimage this year.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on religious Allama Tahir Ashrafi has tweeted that around 60,000 people could perform Hajj this year.

He said the pilgrims would have to follow the coronavirus SOPs

https://twitter.com/TahirAshrafi/status/1396167179788226562

Saudi Arabia announced it allowed Hajj 2021 this year again despite the Covid-19 pandemic but under conditions and standards.

Saudi Arabia’s decision is based on the “country’s keenness to enable the guests and visitors of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque to perform the rituals of Hajj and Umrah,” said the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah a couple of days before.

Saudi authorities, however, said earlier that only people immunised against COVID-19 will be allowed to perform the year-round Umrah pilgrimage.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said in a statement that only “immunised people” will be granted permits to perform Umrah as well as prayers in the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca.

Last year, Saudi Arabia had not allowed international pilgrims for Hajj in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Only a very limited number of people who were already living in the kingdom had taken part in the Hajj.

Usually, an estimated two million people otherwise visit Makkah and Madinah for the annual gathering of Hajj. However, due to the coronavirus last year only a limited number were allowed to performed Hajj and this year the number of international pilgrims would also be limited too.

In normal times the pilgrimage is one of the most significant moments in the Muslim religious calendar. But only citizens from countries around the world who are already resident in Saudi Arabia were allowed to attend last year.

Saudi Hajj and Umrah ministry has confirmed that Hajj is taking place this year. A tweet of the ministry reads, “#Hajj2021 is taking place this year while adhering to all safety and precautionary measure.”

https://twitter.com/MoHU_En/status/1391392890975293440

Pakistan’s Vaccine request

Pakistan has requested Saudi Arabia to approve the Chinese vaccine and let the Pakistanis inoculated with the Chinese vaccine travel to the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia has made mandatory coronavirus vaccination for travellers to the country. However, Saudi Arabia has not approved the Chinese vaccine yet. Pakistan's foreign ministry has requested the health authorities of Saudi Arabia to register the Chinese vaccine.

Pakistan said that the doctors did not allow to administer any other vaccine for the people who were already vaccinated. It further says that WHO had already approved the Chinese vaccine. Pfizer, Oxford, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson are the coronavirus vaccines approved by the Saudi authorities till now.

On the other hand, China has allowed travellers who got the Chinese vaccine only. China has not approved any other vaccine so far.