Saudi to postpone Hajj plans this year

Saudi Arabia has called upon foreign pilgrims to postpone their Hajj plans this year due to ongoing expansion work at Mekka's Grand Mosque, Arab News reported Sunday. This was highlighted through a series of announcements through the Holy Qur'an television channel from Mekka, the government advised pilgrims intending to perform Haj and Umrah this year to postpone their plans to the Grand Mosque. According to the newspaper, the unprecedented move aims at preventing congestion and stampedes as well as ensuring the safety of pilgrimages. The call came after the government's decision to reduce the number of foreign pilgrims by 20 percent and domestic pilgrims by 50 percent this year. Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has backed the measure, saying that it was taken in public interest. According to official figure, 3.161 million pilgrims preformed hajj last year; if counting illegal hajj performers, the number could be around 4 million.