Iranian pilgrims to attend this year’s Hajj

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that Iranian pilgrims will participate in this year’s annual Hajj, despite ruptured ties between the regional rivals.

For the first time in nearly three decades, Iran’s pilgrims – which would have numbered about 60,000 – did not attend last year’s Hajj after Riyadh and Tehran failed to agree on security and logistics. Tensions remain as Saudi Arabia repeatedly accuses Iran of fuelling conflicts by supporting armed movements in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Bahrain.

But after talks between the two sides, the Iranians will join this year’s ritual which takes place at the beginning of September.

“The Hajj ministry and the Iranian organisation have completed all the necessary measures to ensure Iranian pilgrims perform Hajj 1438 according to the procedures followed by all Muslim countries,” the official Saudi Press Agency said, referring to this year in the Islamic calendar.

The Hajj ministry said the kingdom welcomes “all pilgrims from all the different nationalities and backgrounds”.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2017.