Saudi Arabia to require COVID-19 vaccine for this year's hajj

The Saudi government is mandating pilgrims be vaccinated but hasn't yet said whether attendance will be limited.
A Saudi man waits for the arrival of relatives at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh on the first commercial flight from Qatar, on January 11, 2021. - Following a Gulf diplomatic thaw, air travel between Qatar and Saudi Arabia has been resumed according to the countries' airlines, a major landmark as Doha's former Gulf rivals normalise ties under a landmark agreement. (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
A Saudi man waits for the arrival of relatives at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on the first commercial flight from Qatar, on Jan. 11, 2021. - FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

Only pilgrims who have received a COVID-19 vaccine will be allowed to attend the upcoming hajj, Saudi Arabia Health Ministry announced this week.

“You must prepare early to secure the manpower required to operate the health facilities in Makkah, the holy sites and Madinah, and the entry points for pilgrims for the 2021 Hajj season,” Saudi Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said in an official circular carried by Arab News. 

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