The Syrian Supreme Hajj Committee announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has set Syria’s quota for the 2022 Hajj season at 10,186 pilgrims, two years after the hajj pilgrimage was suspended for non-residents due to the covid-19 outbreak.
The announcement came in a statement read by Director of the committee and Head of the Syrian Interim Government, Abdurrahman Mustafa, at a press conference in Istanbul on Tuesday.
Mustafa pointed out that the Committee has already begun preparations to receive the wishing Syrian pilgrims in its offices, and to assign groups that will take care of the pilgrims during the hajj journey.
Mustafa added that the Committee will give priority to the applicants who were accepted in the 2020 hajj season (1441 Hijri). He pointed out that the applications of those aged 65 years and over, or those born before July 1, 1957, will be turned down.
He stressed importance of observing the general conditions and health requirements for guaranteeing the safety of pilgrims.
Moreover, Mustafa said that the Committee set certain conditions for travel to perform the hajj rituals. They are a passport valid until the end of 2022, at least two WHO-approved doses of covid-19 vaccines, a male escort for women under the age of 45, and a negative PCR test for coronavirus taken at most 72 hours before arrival.
He pointed out that in the event that the number of applicants who meet the specified conditions exceeds Syria’s quota, a draw will be conducted to determine the final list of candidates.
Director of the Syrian Hajj Committee, Samer Bayrakdar, said that applications that were confirmed in 2020 will be accepted within the above-mentioned conditions.
He added that if there is room for more applications within the specified quota, new applications will be accepted.
Bayrakdar pointed out that Saudi Arabia has reduced the number of pilgrims to 45 percent of the usual number, adding that Syria’s quota was reduced from 22,500 to 10,186 pilgrims.
Bayrakdar stressed that the Committee deals with the hajj pilgrimage as a religious issue away from any form of politicization, adding that the Committee provides its services to all Syrians inside and outside Syria regardless of their political or ethnic affiliations.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
