Iran, Saudi Arabia discuss Hajj issues for first time since COVID-19 outbreak
Top Iranian and Saudi officials in Hajj affairs have met in Jeddah for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic infection and restrictions imposed on the annual pilgrimage.
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Sadeq Hosseini, the head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, and Tawfig F. AlRabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah for Saudi Arabia held a meeting in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Tuesday.
The meeting was the first of its kind after nearly three years that the Saudi official put strict restrictions on the Hajj rituals for the citizens of other countries amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Referring to some of the political misunderstandings between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the negotiations between the two countries in Baghdad in order to resolve the existing problems, Hosseini said that Tehran hopes that hajj diplomacy will assist the political diplomacy and play a role in resolving the existing problems between the two sides.
He also expressed hope that with the help of the Saudi side, the barriers to the re-establishment of Umrah's trips for Iranian citizens will be removed.
The Iranian Hajj chief further conveyed the grievances of the Iranian pilgrims over the increased prices of Hajj and asked the Saudi officials to cooperate in that regard.
The Saudi minister, for his part, said that every country's pilgrims' security and health are the most important priority for the Saudi government and promised to increase the shares or quotas for the pilgrims from other countries given the cancellation of application of pilgrims from some other countries and the vacant positions.
AlRabiah linked the increase in Hajj prices to the growing prices of services globally as well as not holding Hajj in its full capacity, promising that the Saudi officials will determine a ceiling for the services providers and companies to help the Hajj pilgrims from other countries.
