Citing COVID-19, Saudi Arabia asks Muslims to put hajj plans on hold

Saudi Arabia wants Muslims towait until there is more clarity about the COVID-19 pandemicbefore planning to attend the annual hajj pilgrimage, the minister for hajj and umrah said on state TVTuesday.

Some 2.5 million pilgrims from around the world usuallyflock to the holiest sites of Islam in Mecca and Medina for theweeklong ritual, which is considered a mandatoryduty for able-bodied Muslim at least once in their lifetime, as well asa major source of income for the kingdom.

The largest annual gathering of Muslims is scheduled tobegin in late July, but the coronavirus outbreak has raisedquestions about whether it can or should go ahead, given the riskof spreading the disease further in large gatherings.

Saudi Arabia has already suspended the smaller, year-roundumrah pilgrimage until further notice, halted all internationalpassenger flights indefinitely and last week blocked entry andexit to several cities, including Mecca and Medina.

The kingdom has reported 10 deaths among 1,563 cases of COVID-19, which has spread to more than800,000 people globally andkilled more than 40,000, according to a tally fromJohns Hopkins University.

Pilgrimage is big business for Saudi Arabia and the backboneof plans to expand visitor numbers under Crown Prince Mohammedbin Salman's ambitious economic reform agenda.

Cancelling the hajj would be unprecedented in modern times,but curbing attendance from high-risk areas has happened before,including in recent years during the Ebola outbreak.