Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh (SHP)

Riyadh, Jul 15: Saudi Arabia has urged Qatar to lay down procedures for its citizens who long to perform the annual Hajj. It accused Doha of hampering access to the most important Muslim obligation.

Unrest has prevailed since a long time between Riyadh and Doha because of Qatar’s support for terrorism. The Saudi government is trying its best to help the pilgrims of around the world, including Qatar, to perform Hajj.

Several websites built by the government of Saudi Arabia which allows the residents of Qatar and Emirates to register for pilgrimage services have been blocked by Qatar government. In a comment by the ministry, they stated that a Qatari delegation had visited Saudi Arabia to discuss arrangements for the upcoming Hajj season, but left the kingdom without signing any specific agreement.

“The kingdom categorically rejects any attempt to politicize Hajj,” the ministry added. The annual Hajj for this year is due in the month of August. Hajj is the most mandatory religious duty to be performed at least once in their lifetime by every Muslim who are financially and physically able.

In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt broke off their diplomatic and transportation links with Qatar because of the support it demonstrates for extremist groups. Following which, Qatar has accused Saudi Arabia for barring its residents from performing rituals of Hajj and Umrah.

However, this tension has not held back the Qataris from performing Hajj, last year approximately 1,000 Qataris performed Hajj. Qatar has a quota of 1,200 Hajj pilgrims based on its total population (including expats) of around 2.6 million.