Would-be pilgrims who are not resident in Saudi will not be considered eligible for Hajj in the holy land this year.

Senior authorities of the kingdom in a statement on Saturday said only citizens within the kingdom will observe this year’s Hajj,CityNews Nigeria reports.

“In the light of what the world is witnessing with the continuing developments of the pandemic Covid-19, and the emergence of new variations, Hajj 1442 will be limited to the residents and citizens from within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ONLY – (60,000).”

“The Total Number of pilgrims this year is limited to ONLY 60,000 people, for residents of all nationalities and citizens inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

“The health status of those wishing to register for Hajj 1442 must be from the following categories: a vaccinated person, a vaccinated person who has completed one dose and spent 14 days, or a vaccinated person recovering from infection.”