Dubai: Local media reported that the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia has announced that more than 90% of the economic Hajj packages have been sold thus far.
This year’s Hajj packages are 30% less expensive than last year, according to Dr. Amr bin Reda Al Maddah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for Hajj and Umrah Services.
Al Maddah added that the domestic categories are separated according to the service providers. As a result, the camp’s service model will be used to determine the absorptive capacity.
The ministry announced earlier this week that domestic pilgrims can now pay for their Hajj packages in three installments rather than in full upfront, as was previously required.
Prospective pilgrims must make a partial payment of 20% of the total cost within 72 hours of registering to reserve their spot. The remaining 40% must be paid by October 10, 1444 AH, and the remaining 40% must be paid by July 7, 1444 AH.
The Hajj status will become “confirmed” if payments are made on time, and each payment will have its own separate invoice. The reservation will be canceled if the necessary payments are not made.
After the coronavirus pandemic forced the annual pilgrimage to be reduced for three years, Saudi Arabia has also lifted all restrictions.
According to the official Saudi Press Agency, Tawfiq Al Rabiah, the minister in charge of the Hajj, stated that restrictions, such as age limits, would be lifted and that the number of pilgrims would return to levels that existed prior to the pandemic.
Prior to the pandemic, approximately 2.5 million Muslims from all over the world typically gathered annually in the holy city of Mecca for the Hajj, Islam’s largest congregation.
Under strict social distance rules, only a few thousand people in the kingdom performed the Hajj in 2020, and approximately 60,000 people participated in 2021.
