Saudi Arabia has said it will limit registration for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage to citizens and residents of the Kingdom in light of the coronavirus pandemic, which means no foreign pilgrims will be allowed to perform Hajj this year too.

The ministers of health and Hajj announced Saturday that a total of 60,000 pilgrims will be allowed to perform the pilgrimage this year. 

It stressed that those wishing to perform Hajj must be free of any chronic diseases, and to be within the ages from 18 to 65 years for those vaccinated against the virus according to the kingdom’s vaccination measures.  

The decision is “based on the Kingdom’s constant keenness to enable the guests and visitors at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque to perform the rituals of Hajj and Umrah,” the ministry said. “The Kingdom puts human health and safety first.”

In last year's Hajj, as few as 1,000 people already residing in Saudi Arabia were selected to take part in the pilgrimage. Two-thirds were foreign residents from among the 160 different nationalities that would have normally been represented at the Hajj. One-third were Saudi security personnel and medical staff.

This year’s Hajj will begin in mid-July.