 "No children are allowed at Hajj this year. Here's why")
Ahead of the upcoming Hajj in June 2025, Saudi Arabia has announced several strict rules to manage its crowd.
The country has banned pilgrims from taking children to the Hajj this year .
Besides this, it has also implemented harsher visa rules, enhanced safety measures, and upgraded infrastructure.
But what’s behind these moves? How will it affect pilgrims? Let’s take a closer look.
Children ban
Saudi Arabia has confirmed that children will not be allowed at Hajj this year.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said the need to safeguard children from potential risks associated with severe overcrowding each year.
The ministry said, “This step has been taken to ensure the safety and well-being of children and to mitigate any potential harm during the Hajj pilgrimage.”
Additionally, it added that priority will be given to first-time pilgrims for Hajj this year.
Stricter visa rules
Alongside the children ban, Saudi Arabia has also changed its visa policy.
The government has indefinitely suspended one-year multi-entry visas for tourism, business, and family visits from specified countries, according to media reports.
Applicable from February 1, individuals from 14 countries, including India, can only be eligible for single-entry visas, valid for 30 days.
The rules will affect people visiting from Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen.
The move aims to curb the practice of taking unauthorised Hajj pilgrimage, which eventually leads to overcrowding.
In the past, many people with multiple-entry visas for Saudi Arabia participated in the Hajj without registration.
Under the new visa rule, the pilgrims will now navigate a more complex and expensive process to reach the holy site.
The move, however, will significantly affect Indians as they are among the major sources of visitors to the country.
In 2022 alone, around 2.5 million Indians visited Saudi Arabia, as per the data available.
For those uninitiated, the development comes a month after the Saudi government introduced stricter rules for Indian workers, wherein those who are applying for Saudi work visas must complete a pre-verification of their professional and academic qualifications before approval.
New payment plans
Registration for the Hajj 2025 season has officially commenced.
Saudi citizens and residents can register through the Nusuk app or the official online portal.
According to new rules, applicants must verify their information and register any companions travelling with them.
The ministry also stressed the significance of preparedness before the commencement of Hajj package sales on the Nusuk app.
Moreover, the ministry has introduced a new installment-based payment option for domestic pilgrims.
Pilgrims can now pay for Hajj packages in three installments: a 20 per cent deposit within 72 hours of making the reservation and two equal payments of 40 per cent by Ramadan 20 and Shawwal 20.
The ministry has stated reservations won’t be confirmed until the last payment is received.
To further enhance pilgrims’ safety, the Saudi ministry has introduced several measures such as safety awareness campaigns, modern intelligent systems to streamline pilgrims’ movement in sacred areas, and advanced infrastructure such as upgraded tent camps and pedestrian routes.
Overcrowding at Hajj
The 2025 Hajj season is expected to take place from June 4-6, depending on the moon sighting.
The pilgrimage to Makkah is a mandatory religious duty in Islam for those who are physically and financially able to perform it at least once in their lifetime.
Organised by Saudi Arabia, they allocate specific quotas to each nation because there are more Muslims who wish to immigrate than there is room for.
Still, unauthorised pilgrimages add to the overcrowding and extreme heat at important holy locations, making it more challenging to control the pilgrims’ movement and guarantee their safety.
In 2024, more than 1,200 pilgrims died due to extreme heat and overcrowding. Authorities believed that a significant number of unregistered pilgrims contributed to the crisis.
More than 1.83 million Muslims performed the Hajj in 2024, including more than 1.6 million from 22 countries, and around 222,000 Saudi citizens and residents, according to the Saudi Hajj authorities.
Overcrowding is also quite common at the Hajj. In 2015, a stampede in Mina during the Hajj killed over 2,400 pilgrims, the deadliest incident to ever strike the pilgrimage, according to an Associated Press count.
The second-deadliest incident at Hajj was a 1990 stampede that killed 1,426 people.
With inputs from agencies
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
