Saudi Arabia announced that the traditional annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca - the Hajj - will take place this year, but subject to certain conditions, the details of which will be communicated at a later date..
According to some reports, the main condition for participation in the pilgrimage will be the availability of vaccination against coronavirus, the BBC reports..
Last year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Saudi Arabian authorities banned the arrival of pilgrims from abroad and limited the number of pilgrims to 10 thousand people - only local residents or foreigners living in the country went to the Hajj. This year, the Hajj to Muslim shrines falls in the second half of July..