Coronavirus: UAE will not participate in Hajj this year with pilgrims limited to Saudi residents

The announcement follows consultations with Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia

Pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Makkah. AFP

Muslims pray at the Grand Mosque. Reuters

Muslims pray at the Grand Mosque. Reuters

Muslims pray at the Grand Mosque. Reuters

Muslims pray at the Grand Mosque. Reuters

Muslims pray at the Grand Mosque. Reuters

Pilgrims pray at the al-Haram al-Sharif mosque. EPA

Pilgrims read the Quran at the Al Haram Al Sharif mosque. EPA

Pilgrims wait for prayers at the Grand Mosque. AFP

Pilgrims visit Prophet Mohammed's tomb in Al Masjid an Nabawi in Medina. AP Photo

Pilgrims on their way to Mecca walk past the Haramain High-Speed Railway train. AP Photo

A Saudi police officer checks a pilgrim as he enters the Haramain High-Speed Railway station. AP Photo

The UAE will not participate in this year’s Hajj, it has been announced.

The UAE Hajj Affairs Office (HAO) made the announcement after consulting with the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

On Monday, authorities in Saudi Arabia said a “very limited” number of residents would be allowed to perform Hajj this year.

People from various nationalities based in Saudi Arabia would be eligible to perform the pilgrimage.

"The kingdom's decision stems from the preventive and precautionary measures taken to contain the spread of the pandemic and to keep all humans protected and safe from its risks and in accordance with the teachings of Islam in preserving the lives," the HAO said.

The Hajj is considered the world’s largest religious gathering, which brought almost 2.5 million pilgrims to Makkah in 2019.

The Saudi government assigns a quota to each country to prevent overcrowding.

A large number of Emiratis attend the annual event, with 67 additional flights added last year by Etihad and Emirates to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims from the UAE.

In 2018, the UAE was allowed to send 6,228 pilgrims, and in 2017, 4,631 people made it to the holy land.

The pilgrimage is performed during Eid Al Adha, which is expected to fall on July 31 this year.

Known as the “festival of sacrifice,” it is one of the biggest celebrations in the Islamic calendar.

What is Hajj?

The world's largest annual pilgrimage, Hajj requires the faithful to repeat a set of rituals first performed by the Prophet Mohammed centuries ago.

The event is a deeply spiritual experience for Muslims, and one every believer aspires to take part in at some point in their life, if they are able to do so.

Those who are unable to perform the pilgrimage for financial or health reasons are exempted. If they can afford it, Muslims can have someone perform Hajj on their behalf, with Sharia advising they fund someone who would otherwise be unable to attend.

The history of Hajj

Though Hajj has been performed in its current form for more than 1,300 years, some of its elements go back to the time of the Prophet Ibrahim in 1813BC.

It is said God ordered the Prophet Ibrahim to leave his wife, Hagar, and son, Ismail, in the desert of ancient Makkah.

Hagar, desperately searching for water for Ismail, ran between two small hills, Al Safa and Al Marwa, seven times.

When she returned to her son, she saw him scratching at the ground and it is said a miracle from God caused a spring to well up beneath them.

Today, pilgrims pace between these two mountains as part of the rituals of Hajj in remembrance of that miracle. The site is now the Well of Zamzam.

Even the Kaaba is connected to the Prophet Ibrahim, who built it with the help of his son under orders from God, who told him to invite people to perform pilgrimage there.

It is said the black stone used to build the Kaaba was supplied by the angel Gabriel, who brought it from heaven.

Some time before Islam was reintroduced in 610AD, the Kaaba became a site for pagan worship.

Twenty years later, the Prophet Mohammed led his followers from Makkah to Madinah where they destroyed the pagan idols.

The Prophet Mohammed performed his first and only Hajj, with a large number of followers, in 632.

Those accompanying the Prophet Mohammed observed his every move and these steps are performed in the same sequence today.