Saudi welcomes first foreign hajj pilgrims since 2019

By Agence France-Presse

Jun 05, 2022 12:41 am

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia welcomed on Saturday its first batch of hajj pilgrims since before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which prompted authorities to sharply restrict the annual ritual.

The group from Indonesia landed in the city of Medina and was set to travel south to the holy city of Mecca in the coming weeks to prepare for the hajj next month, state media reported.

PANDEMIC PILGRIMAGE Indonesian pilgrims begin to depart from Juanda International Airport in the city of Surabaya on Saturday, June 4, 2022, for Saudi Arabia, where they will perform the hajj in the holy city of Mecca. AFP PHOTO

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