Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In 2010, pilgrims arrived from 181 countries stretching from Mali to Indonesia. An estimated 25,000 pil-
grims came from the UK; 13,000 from the US.
Gaining a Visa for Hajj
In an attempt to keep the numbers of pilgrims manageable, only one hajj visa is issued per
1000 Muslim inhabitants of a country's population. Restrictions on pilgrims from Saudi
Arabia are in place in order to allow more Muslims from other countries to visit and
Saudis can perform hajj no more than once every five years.
Entry to Mecca and Medina is prohibited to non-Muslims - although non-Muslims can view the Great
Mosque of Medina from Le Meridien Hotel.
The wait for a hajj visa varies from country to country, with some pilgrims claiming to
have waited 20 years or more for permission to travel and others claiming to have been
charged exorbitant sums from profiteering agencies. On the whole, however, the system
works well and politicians understand the importance of ensuring that the citizens of their
own countries are well represented at the largest gathering of peoples in the world.
UMRAH - THE LITTLE HAJJ
Many Muslims who have the time and funds choose to perform
umrah
(the 'lesser pilgrimage' or 'visitation').
This is a shortened version of hajj where rituals can be carried out over the course of hours rather than days.
Umrah
can be performed at any time of year (except during hajj itself), at any time of day and night. Pilgrims
are also allowed to perform
umrah
on behalf of someone else.
Many pilgrims say
umrah
is a quiet, peaceful and contemplative experience and worth experiencing in addition
to hajj for this reason.
Hosting Hajj
General Logistics
For Saudi Arabia, the logistical challenges of hosting the annual hajj - the equivalent of
25 World Cups, or 30 simultaneous Super Bowls - are legion. To cater for an event of this
magnitude, with this volume of people, an entire government department - the Ministry of
Hajj - dedicates itself solely to the annual organisation of the pilgrimage.
