The amount of payment for one pilgrim for the Hajj 2022 season in Uzbekistan is set at 62.9 million soums. Also this season, the quota for Uzbek pilgrims has been increased from 7,200 to 10,865 people. This was announced at a briefing in AIMC by the head of the information service of the Committee for Religious Affairs Ilkhom Marufov.
It is noted that the rise in prices was caused by the introduction by the government of Saudi Arabia of additional taxes and mandatory payments that affect the cost of the pilgrimage, the amount of payments for utilities, transport and other services increased several times (by 30-40%).
In 2022, new mandatory payments for the services of institutions organizing pilgrimages will be introduced. Therefore, the cost of hajj services for the countries of the world has increased, on average, by 40-45%.
As a result of negotiations with the Saudi side, a total quota for citizens of Uzbekistan in the amount of 10,865 people has been set this year. In 2019, this figure was 7,200 people.
The Saudi government has made the following requirements for foreigners and locals to perform the Hajj this year:
• In accordance with the strict quarantine requirements set by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the age limit for participation in the 2022 Hajj season is set at 65 years. This age limit includes people born before June 30, 1957;
• According to the requirements of the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, pilgrims must be vaccinated with vaccines Pfizer/BioNTech (USA-China), Oxford-AstraZeneca (UK-Sweden), Moderna (USA) and Johnson & Johnson (USA), approved by the World Health Organization;
• All travelers must be vaccinated with the 4-valent meningitis vaccine as required by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health;
• All citizens present a negative PCR certificate for coronavirus obtained 72 hours before entering Saudi Arabia.
Pilgrims form Uzbekistan will go on a pilgrimage on June 18-30 this year along the routes Tashkent-Medina, Bukhara-Medina, Namangan-Medina, Samarkand-Medina, Karshi-Medina, Urgench-Medina, Nukus-Medina. They will return by the same routes on July 14-31.
