Preparations are under way for 80,000 Egyptian pilgrims to perform hajj this year, following the conclusion of an annual lottery that selects one Egyptian citizen out of every 1,000 to receive a special hajj visa.
The cost of the pilgrimage was lower this year, because of the inclusion of tourism companies in the lottery and the resulting intense competition, officials said. Saudi and Egyptian authorities are also taking strict measures this hajj season to forestall any problems the pilgrims encounter on their journey.
"The pilgrimage season holds great importance for Egyptians and this is reflected in the high hajj turnout each year," said Maamoun al-Rashidi, hajj delegation inspector with the religious tourism committee of the Ministry of Tourism's Chamber of Tourist Establishments.
"The number of those who wish to perform hajj is very high, but the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation limits the number of those who acquire visas to one in 1,000," he said.
According to al-Rashidi, Egypt sought this year to increase the number of Hajj pilgrims, but Saudi authorities rejected the request because the Egyptian census adopted internationally is the 2010 census, which limits the number of pilgrims to 80,000. However, the number may increase in coming years, as Egypt's population reached 91 million in August, he said.
"[We took] all necessary medical measures to prevent [pilgrims from contracting] diseases or viruses during the hajj pilgrimage, especially with the news of the spread of the new coronavirus," al-Rashidi said. "[We urged] pilgrims to comply with the regulations set forth by the Saudi authorities, [and we warned them] not to violate orders from security officers and to stay away completely from politics and political gatherings, should they occur."
source : http://abna.ir
