Security agencies in Saudi Arabia announced that they have completed their preparation to hold the holy Hajj pilgrimage.
They announced that Makkah will be cordoned off whereby only workers and people with special permits will be allowed into the holy city.
Commander of Hajj Security, Zayed al-Tuyan told Asharq Al-Awsat that the low number of pilgrims this year will not alter security plans and precautions that the forces prepare every year.
The low number will not lead to any leniency in implementing security plans, he stressed.
This year’s Hajj will be held with some 1,000 pilgrims due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Only Saudis and foreign residents of the Kingdom will be allowed to perform the rituals.
Tuyan stressed that security forces will ensure that preventive measures are being implemented for the safety of the pilgrims and organizers of the Hajj.
Only people with a permit issued from concerned parties will be allowed to entre Makkah during the Hajj period, he added. The pilgrims will also be surrounded by a security cordon at the sites in order to protect them.
Violators will be fined 10,000 riyals. It will be doubled for repeat offenders.
