Inflation and economic crises strain pilgrims in this year’s Hajj, putting it out of reach for some
Associated PressCAIRO — Saudi Arabia is hosting its biggest Hajj pilgrimage in three years, starting Monday. With people balking at the costs, a few countries struggled to fill their quota of pilgrims this year, a startling sign when demand usually outstrips the supply of pilgrimage spots many times over. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saudi Arabia barred foreign pilgrims in 2020 and 2021, and last year it dramatically reduced the numbers, cutting quotas in half or more. I cannot meet the wide gap between my savings and the cost.” The price for a government-run trip was initially set at 1.175 million rupees, a jump of 69% over last year’s rate in rupees, though at the last minute authorities lowered the cost somewhat, saying they found cheaper deals on accommodation in Mecca. Nigeria, which has one of the world’s biggest Muslim populations, was able to fill its quota of 95,000 pilgrims at the last minute after many states extended their deadlines for people to pay, authorities said.