All 407 haj places for S'pore pilgrims processed, waiting for visas to be issued

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced that haj 2022 will be open to one million pilgrims in total. PHOTO: AFP

SINGAPORE - The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) successfully processed all 407 places granted to Singapore pilgrims to perform the haj this year.

All pilgrims have registered with Muis' appointed travel agencies and made payments for their preferred haj packages, said Muis on Friday (May 13), adding that the council is now working to have the haj visas issued by Saudi Arabia.

Muis announced last month that Singapore was granted a quota of 407 places out of 850,000 for international pilgrims this year.

"Overall, it was a very smooth process in which successful pilgrims were given the haj places in accordance with the conditions and requirements for haj 2022 as well as the places in the Muis Advance Haj Registration System," said the council.

Due to Covid-19, Muis did not send pilgrims for the haj in 2020 and 2021.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had announced that haj 2022 will be open to one million pilgrims in total, with each country being given approximately 45 per cent of its pre-pandemic quota. Singapore's quota before the pandemic was 900 places.

The ministry also announced that this year's haj pilgrims must be aged below 65, vaccinated against Covid-19 with a Saudi-approved vaccine and must submit a negative polymerase chain reaction test within 72 hours from the time of departure to Saudi Arabia.

Muis said last month that due to the deferment of the haj in 2020 and 2021, it would reallocate the limited quota to pilgrims who were supposed to perform the haj in 2020 and met the conditions and requirements for this year's pilgrimage.

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