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Without mentioning their recent MERS-CoV outbreaks (or increasing instability in the Middle East), Saudi Arabia has suddenly decided to limit the number of visitors to their holy sites this year during Umrah and the Hajj – citing ongoing construction at the Al-Masjid Al-Ḥarām (The `Grand Mosque’) in Mecca.
The multi-billion dollar expansion of this holy site began in 2007 and completion isn’t expected until 2020. Making a last-minute realization that they cannot handle their normal number of visitors a bit suspect.
Whatever the truth of the matter, this morning it is widely being reported that Saudi Arabia has asked foreigners to postpone their Hajj pilgrimage this year.
This from Xinhua News.
Saudi advises foreigners to postpone Hajj plans this year
(philstar.com) | Updated June 16, 2013 - 5:00pm
RIYADH (Xinhua) - Saudi Arabia has called upon foreign pilgrims to postpone their Hajj plans this year due to ongoing expansion work at Mekka's Grand Mosque, Arab News reported Sunday.
This was highlighted through a series of announcements through the Holy Qur'an television channel from Mekka, the government advised pilgrims intending to perform Haj and Umrah this year to postpone their plans to the Grand Mosque.
According to the newspaper, the unprecedented move aims at preventing congestion and stampedes as well as ensuring the safety of pilgrimages.
The call came after the government's decision to reduce the number of foreign pilgrims by 20 percent and domestic pilgrims by 50 percent this year. Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has backed the measure, saying that it was taken in public interest.
According to official figure, 3.161 million pilgrims preformed hajj last year; if counting illegal hajj performers, the number could be around 4 million.
All able bodied Muslims are required to make at least one major pilgrimage to Mecca during their lifetime, at the time of the hajj. This is known as the fifth pillar of Islam, and is one of the duties incumbent upon all Muslims.
The faithful may also make `lesser pilgrimages’, called omra (or Umrah), at other times of the year. These minor pilgrimages don’t absolve the faithful of making the hajj journey unless they take place during Ramadan.
As a result, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) receives more than 7 million visitors each year, with most of them arriving during the month of Ramadan (this year: July 8th-August 7th) and during the Hajj in October.
With more than 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, the wait for a visa to partake in the Hajj or Umrah can literally take a decade or longer, and many devout save for much their lives in order to make this pilgrimage.
Which is why the surprise announcement earlier this week that Saudi Arabia would limit the number, and duration of Umrah visas this summer was met with considerable concern.
Saudi Arabia limits Umrah visa validity to 2 weeks
SIRAJ WAHAB
Jeddah, June 9: The Hajj Ministry has decided to limit the validity of Umrah visas to only 14 days because of the ongoing work to expand the mataf — the cicumambulation area.
Two days later, from the Jakarta Globe, we get:
Saudi Arabia Slashes Indonesia Hajj Quota By 20%
By Jakarta Globe on 7:16 pm June 11, 2013.
Indonesian Muslims planning to make a pilgrimage to Mecca for Idul Adha will have to wait even longer after Saudi Arabia cuts the nation’s quota by 20 percent this year, adding to a backlog that is already 12 years long.
Overnight, the story appears to have grown, as the Saudi Gazette is now reporting that the limit on visitors has been extended not only to this year’s Hajj, but potentially to all Umrah and Hajj visitors over the next 2 or 3 years.
Reduction in numbers of Haj and Umrah visitors
MAKKAH — The Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Alshaikh, head of the grand scholars committee, has supported the decision to reduce the number of Hajis and Umrah visitors during the coming two or three years, Al-Sharq newspaper reported.
Even without an emerging coronavirus, the logistics of providing free medical care for several million pilgrims during the Hajj is a daunting one. Last month, in MERS, Mass Gatherings & Public Health, we looked at some of the immense challenges that Saudi Arabia faces each year with the Hajj.
Emergence of medicine for mass gatherings: lessons from the Hajj
Prof Ziad A Memish MD , Gwen M Stephens MD, Prof Robert Steffen MD , Qanta A Ahmed MD
(Excerpt)
Within the immediate vicinity of the Hajj, there are 141 primary health-care centres and 24 hospitals with a total capacity of 4964 beds including 547 beds for critical care. The latest emergency management medical systems were installed in 136 health-care centres and staffed with 17 609 specialised personnel. More than 15 000 doctors and nurses provide services, all at no charge.
As to whether MERS-CoV has anything to do with this week’s unprecedented decision to sharply curtail visitors to the Kingdom?
It seems likely that it is at least one of the factors, but your guess is as good as mine.
