CAIRO – The Egyptian Interior Ministry will start receiving applications for lottery pilgrimage as of Sunday till May 6.
The move comes after Saudi Arabia announced it will host a million pilgrims following a two-year hiatus.
Applications can be submitted at police stations or through the ministry’s portal (https://hij.moi.gov.eg) or through the number (27983000 – 02), the ministry said in a statement.
A public lottery will be held for security directorates’ pilgrims according to a timetable set by the administrative affairs department.
Egypt’s share of pilgrimage visas is set at 78,000, including touristic pilgrimage, Ministry of Interior pilgrimage, and Ministry of Social Solidarity pilgrimage visas. The country tailors five-star, four-star, economic, and land travel itineraries for pilgrims.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that this year’s pilgrimage will be performed with a host of regulations, including that pilgrims be less than 65 years of age, be fully vaccinated, present a negative PCR test result conducted within 72 hours before arriving in Saudi Arabia, and commit themselves to preventive measures. (MENA)
