King Salman Offers to Host 1,000 Palestinian Pilgrims for Hajj 2023

Saudi Arabia‘s King Salman has offered to host 1,000 Palestinian pilgrims for this year’s Hajj. The gesture is part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Hajj Guests Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. The programme targets relatives of wounded, killed, and imprisoned Palestinians who are performing the pilgrimage at the expense of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, Sheikh Dr Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, has praised the initiative as a testament to the countries’ strong relationship and appreciation of the sacrifices made by the Palestinian people. More than 43,000 pilgrims have benefited from the scheme over the past 22 years. The Hajj is expected to begin on June 26th and attract millions of Muslims from across the world to Saudi Arabia. Previously, Muslim women were required to have a male guardian when performing the pilgrimage, but the new incentive from Saudi Arabia now allows women to perform the Hajj without one.