The Presidency of Religious Affairs has made a significant decision regarding Hajj fees. According to a recent announcement, the Presidency has clarified its position on Hajj arrangements. Under the decision, those who won the 2020 Hajj lottery and completed their registration will have their places transferred automatically to 2021 without another lottery. The registration fees for those who secured definitive registration in 2020 will be refunded. The announcement states: “The Presidency of Religious Affairs will transfer the Hajj quotas won in the 2020 draw and for which citizens completed registration to 2021 without a new draw. The definitive registration fees paid by Hajj applicants will be returned to them.”
What Does the Presidency’s Announcement for Hajj Applicants Cover?
What does the Presidency’s announcement for Hajj applicants include? In a written statement, the Presidency of Religious Affairs reported that 2,298,000 people registered in the initial Hajj pre-registration. Following the draw held among applicants who pre-registered on January 9, 2020, a total of 83,430 people were selected to perform Hajj for 2020. Definitive registration was completed on January 13, 2020, when the first installment of the Hajj fee was collected from the selected applicants. In light of the global coronavirus pandemic—which affects people’s health worldwide—the second and third installment payments were deferred due to the potential that Hajj could not be performed this year.
The Presidency indicated that it has been closely monitoring developments related to the coronavirus from the beginning and has consulted with Muslim-majority countries, especially Saudi Arabia. Observing that conditions might improve, the Presidency avoided making any rushed decisions. However, because the pandemic is ongoing, Saudi Arabia announced its own decision regarding the 2020 Hajj: the pilgrimage will be limited to residents within the country for this year. Saudi authorities stated that foreign pilgrims will not be accepted for the 2020 Hajj season. Following Saudi Arabia’s announcement, the Presidency confirmed that “in accordance with the procedures and principles determined by the Interministerial Hajj and Umrah Board, the Hajj rights of citizens who won definitive registration in the 2020 draw and completed registration will be transferred to 2021 without a new draw. The definitive registration fees paid by Hajj applicants will be refunded to them.”