Ahead of Hajj, pilgrims around Saudi Arabia make their way to Jeddah

Pilgrims from around Saudi Arabia have begun traveling to the city of Jeddah where tour operators are set to take them to Mecca for the annual Hajj season.

Prior to the pandemic, millions of Muslims from around the world would flock to Saudi Arabia to perform the Islamic ritual.

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The Kingdom limited the Hajj pilgrimage this year to 60,000 people residing in the country as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus.

The application for a Hajj permit was limited to those aged 18 to 65 years old, those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, those who do not suffer from chronic diseases, and those who will be performing the rite for the first time.

A picture taken on July 29, 2020 shows pilgrims while social distancing as a coronavirus preventative measure while circumambulating around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the centre of the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, at the start of the annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage. (AFP)

In 2020, only 10,000 Saudi Arabian citizens and residents were allowed to perform the pilgrimage.

The Hajj season will begin on July 17 until July 22. The ritual is a rite for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it.

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