Saudi Arabia has disclosed plans of establishing a media hub for the upcoming Hajj season, as announced by the Saudi Media Minister Salman Al Dosary. The initiative is geared to create a one stop shop for local and international media to cover the annual pilgrimage. The hub will serve nearly 2,000 media workers and visitors, who will have an opportunity to attend the interactive exhibition showing the media system and government agencies involved in the event.
Moreover, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has opened the e-registration for Saudis and Muslims living in Saudi Arabia who wish to perform Hajj. Four packages are offered at different prices, from SR4,099 up to SR13,265, depending on the type of accommodation you prefer.
This year, Saudi Arabia is planning to receive approximately 2 million pilgrims for Hajj and arrangements are already in place. The novel foreign pilgrims’ plan involves discontinuing designations for certain countries at the holy sites and allocating places based on the contract finalization dates.
The issuance of Hajj visa will begin from March 1 and will end on April 29, with the pilgrims expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia starting May 9. The new mechanism is meant to facilitate the preparations for Hajj, which is compulsory for those who can afford physically and financially, to be fulfilled at least once a lifetime.