Rabat – Fees for this year’s Hajj season for Moroccan pilgrims applying through Morocco’s Islamic affairs ministry are set at MAD 62,929 ($6,117), the ministry has confirmed.
In a statement quoted in converging news reports this week, the Islamic affairs ministry specified that the fees do not include pocket money.
To pay the fees, pilgrims will have to head to agencies affiliated with Moroccan bank Al Barid Bank, indicated the statement.
Pilgrims selected to perform the Hajj rituals this year should head to the agencies and present their IDs and proof that they were selected this year, added the statement, noting that payments for Hajj should be made between February 27 and March 10.
Last week, Morocco’s Islamic affairs ministry announced updating the existing regulations governing Hajj applications. Among the recent updates is the decision to exempt women under 45 from the need to have a male guardian when applying for Hajj.
While announcing the update, the ministry added that applications from individuals who have performed Hajj in tha last 10 years or those younger than 18 will not be considered.
Morocco’s quota for the “1444 AH Hajj” season is set at 34,000 pilgrims, Islamic Affairs Minister Ahmed Toufiq said.
The news comes months after Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Umrah and Hajj announced that all COVID-related restrictions imposed on Hajj will be listed this year.
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Saudi Arabia received on average 2.5 million pilgrims annually. The number dropped to 1000 in 2020.
SOURCE: MORROCO WORLD NEWS
