Some pilgrims reported being given electronic wristbands to allow authorities to monitor their whereabouts. FMTNews SaudiArabia
Pilgrims arrive at the King Abdulaziz Airport for the haj to Mecca, in Jeddah on Saturday.
Those selected to take part in this year’s haj were subject to temperature checks and placed in quarantine as they began trickling into Mecca at the weekend. Haj authorities have cordoned the Kaaba this year, saying pilgrims will not be allowed to touch it, to limit the chances of infection. Some 70% of the pilgrims are foreigners residing in the kingdom, while the rest will be Saudi citizens.All worshippers were required to be tested for coronavirus before arriving in Mecca and will also have to quarantine after the pilgrimage as the number of cases in the kingdom nears 270,000 — one of the largest outbreaks in the Middle East.
“I did not expect, among millions of Muslims, to be blessed with approval,” Emirati pilgrim Abdullah Al-Kathiri said in a video released by the Saudi media ministry.The ministry said non-Saudi residents of the kingdom from around 160 countries competed in the online selection process.
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