Because of the increasing uncertainty in a coronavirus outbreak, the Saudi Arabian government has advised Muslims worldwide to postpone Hajj preparations. The Hajj Minister of the nation, Mohammad Benten, said this on Tuesday on the state-run TV.
The minister said that in an interview with Al Ekhbariya, Saudi Arabia is ready to serve tourists, but because of the pandemic the situation around is complicated.
Under the current circumstances, as we are talking about the global pandemic […] the kingdom is keen to protect the health of Muslims and citizens and so we have asked our brother Muslims in all countries to wait before doing Haj contracts until the situation is clear.
Though Benten was optimistic about organizing hajj this year, he refrained from confirming whether they will host international pilgrims. This is mainly because the deadly disease is also spreading in the country.
As of Tuesday, KSA authorities have confirmed 1564 COVID-19 infections and 10 deaths from illness. The government is taking strict measures to curb the spread of the virus, banning international Umrah pilgrims, congregational prayers across the country, including Masjid al-Nabvi and Masjid al-Haram. The tawaf at the Mataaf was also discontinued earlier this month and was only resumed for a small number of people on Monday.
