Saudi Arabia has made an important announcement for Hajj, which is scheduled to take place from 26 June to 1 July 2023. To participate, Muslims must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
This means receiving two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and a booster dose. The vaccines approved in Saudi Arabia are Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Covovax, Nuvaxovid, Sinophram, Sinovac, Covaxin, Sputnik-V, and Janssen (1 shot). Pilgrims must also be vaccinated against seasonal influenza and meningitis.
Individuals who have not yet received their COVID-19 vaccination can do so ten days before the start of the Hajj season. In 2020 and 2021, the number of pilgrims allowed to participate in the Hajj was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, the number of pilgrims increased but remained lower than pre-pandemic levels, however, Saudi Arabia has confirmed that there will be no age or travel restrictions for Hajj participation in 2023.
This means that anyone who has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and meets the other requirements can participate in the Hajj, regardless of nationality or age. In 2019, around 2.5 million Muslims performed Hajj. With the new changes implemented for the 2023 Hajj season, there may be an even greater number of participants.
