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AFP
They were preparing at the Grand Mosque in Mecca to welcome this year’s pilgrims.
The annual Hajj pilgrimage, usually conducted by Muslims from around the world, begins on Wednesday, dramatically decreasing due to the coronavirus.
Saudi Arabia has banned international visitors from making the trip to Mecca to try to stem the pandemic.
Only citizens of other countries already residing in the kingdom will be able to attend this year.
Normally around two million people participate, but this year no more than 10,000 are expected to attend.
Those who were able to participate in this year’s Hajj were subjected to temperature checks and virus tests when they started arriving in Mecca over the weekend, the AFP news agency reports.
The faithful will also have to quarantine before and after the pilgrimage, reports AFP.
In an interview with Saudi-funded al-Arabiya television earlier this week, Pilgrimage Affairs Minister Mohammed Saleh Binten said pilgrims were quarantined in their homes before another four days of quarantine in hotels in Mecca.
Of the participants, 30% are said to be Saudi citizens, while the rest are not Saudi residents in the kingdom.
The kingdom has recorded more than 270,000 cases with nearly 3,000 deaths, one of the largest outbreaks in the Middle East.
The country only lifted a national blockade last month. Strong restrictions came into effect in March to combat the spread of infections, including 24-hour curfews in most towns and cities.
What is Hajj?
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Making the pilgrimage at least once is one of the Five Pillars of Islam: the five obligations that every Muslim, who is in good health and can afford, must fulfill to live a good and responsible life, according to Islam.
Pilgrims gather in Mecca to stand in front of the structure known as the Kaaba, praising Allah (God) together.
They also perform other acts of worship, renewing their sense of purpose in the world.
