Three months ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia has announced new restrictions for the foreign pilgrims heading to the country.

Saudi Arabia has issued a new statement to announce that the foreign pilgrims should stay in quarantine for 72 hours and give new coronavirus test besides receiving one of the vaccines confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).
 
As the new coronavirus pandemic has deprived millions of Muslims from across the globe from the much-desired annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia has announced a number of conditions for the foreign pilgrims heading to the Arab country for the pilgrimage in 2021.
 
A number of Muslim states have begun purchase of vaccines for those planning Hajj pilgrimage as the Saudi government announced that the pilgrims should receive one of the vaccines confirmed by WHO a week ahead of their departure for the Arab country.
 
Saudi Arabia has also announced that the pilgrims need to submit their negative test result 72 hours before their departure and prepare for 72 hours of quarantine after their arrival and a second COVID test 48 hours after that.
 
Since the country has stressed foreign pilgrims should maintain 1.5 meters of social distance at their residence, it is expected that the country cuts the number of pilgrims due to limitation of accommodation.
 
Pilgrims will likely perform Hajj 2021 on July 17-22 as the date varies based on moon sighting due to the lunar Islamic calendar.