Egyptian pilgrims have begun heading to Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam. The first batch of 1,076 pilgrims is set to depart on Friday via EgyptAir, with flights scheduled until June 22. Approximately 35,000 Egyptian pilgrims are expected to make the journey this year, with 150 flights transporting them to the kingdom. Of these, 11,000 have won the lottery to attend, while others are traveling via social solidarity organizations or at their own expense.
All pilgrims must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and receive a meningitis vaccine shot before departing. The Hajj consists of religious rites performed over five days in western Saudi Arabia‘s holiest city, Mecca, and surrounding areas. Last year, around 35,000 Egyptians made the pilgrimage to Mecca, with nearly 900,000 pilgrims in total.
An airlift will also transfer 7,400 pilgrims from Bamako, Mali, and 3,000 from Palestine. Return trips are scheduled for July 2-13. It is mandatory for all able Muslims to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
