The possible cancellation becomes necessary
as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, media reports indicated on Tuesday.
According to a source, over eleven countries have signified the possibility of not being part of the exercise this year.Meanwhile, some travels and Tours Agency in Nigeria are in discussion with clients that have paid for the year 2020 hajj on the possibility of shifting their pilgrimage to 2021 to avert being caught in the web of COVID-19 palaver.
The Hajj,
which involves pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, among others, is a
mandatory ritual for all observant Muslims, who can afford the trip and
physically complete the journey to the Arabian Peninsula.
One
of the largest religious gatherings in the world, the hajj draws about two
million people to Saudi Arabia each year.
However, following the
postponement of other major events like the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Saudi
officials have faced pressure to cancel this year’s Hajj to help curb the
spread of the coronavirus, the report said.
Officials are
considering different scenarios and a “decision will be made within one week,”
a senior official from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah ministry said.
This year’s hajj is supposed to take place from July 29 to Aug. 4, but Saudi Arabia has yet to lift an international travel ban implemented on May 20. Other countries have already declined to send pilgrims this year.
The kingdom
experienced a spike in coronavirus cases and deaths after loosening lockdown
measures, the report said. Saudi Arabia has reported more than 119,000
confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 893 deaths, according to data from Johns
Hopkins University.
Cancellation of the
hajj could put further economic pressure on a country still reeling from the
drop in oil demand brought upon by the pandemic. Those making the pilgrimage
were expected to generate $12 billion for the kingdom.
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