Saudi Arabia advises Muslims to defer their Haj plans for now

Saudi Arabia’s Haj minister on Tuesday asked Muslims around the world to defer their preparations for Haj for the time being due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by The Dawn newspaper.

Last month, Saudi Arabia had suspended Umrah over fears of the new coronavirus.

“Under the current circumstances, as we are talking about the global pandemic, the kingdom is keen to protect the health of its citizens and therefore we have asked all Muslims in other countries to wait before signing up for Haj until the situation becomes clear.”

It is still not clear whether Saudi authorities will proceed with this year’s Haj, which is a key revenue earner for the country and attracts millions of Muslim pilgrims from around the world.