The hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam
The annual hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, will start on Wednesday with one million vaccinated Muslims from around the world allowed to take part this year.
In 2019, some 2.5 million pilgrims from around the world participated.
But then the coronavirus outbreak forced Saudi authorities to dramatically downsize the hajj, and just 60,000 fully vaccinated citizens and residents of the kingdom took part in 2021 up from a few thousands in 2020.
