Algeria’s quota of Hadj visas slashed by 20% for next two seasons

The Saudi authorities have decided to reduce Algeria’s quota as well as that of other countries of Hadj pilgrimage visas by 20 per cent in a bid to alleviate the undue pilgrims’ pressure on the Grand Mosque of Mecca which is currently witnessing renovation and extension works due to wind up in about two years’ time.

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador in Algiers, his Excellency Sami Abdallah Saleh said that Algeria would be allotted the same number of Hadj visas over the next two years estimated at 28.800 adding that all courtesy visas would be scrapped during the next two year period.

He also asserted that only regular pilgrims would be retained in an attempt to ward off overcrowding in the holy places of Islam.

The Saudi diplomat further reassured those Algerian travel agencies which incurred financial losses due to the curtailment of Algeria’s quota of Hadj visas, saying that a brood-based meeting bringing together all the parties concerned would be held shortly to thrash out a compromise solution to this problem.

Regarding the “Corona virus” epidemic which affected the Saudi Kingdom causing several victims, the Saudi Ambassador explained that the Saudi authorities had taken all measures to prevent the propagation of the virus among the pilgrims, stressing that such a virus was being checked and under strict control by the medical personnel in Mecca and Medina and elsewhere in the Saudi Kingdom.