Saudi Arabia extends deadline for Makkah Haj housing

Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Haj Pilgrims Housing Committee in Makkah has extended the deadline for issuing housing permits until May 20.

The committee said that the relevant requests will continue until the end of the current month of Shawwal, which is expected to end on May 20.

The committee urged real estate owners interested in renting their homes for this purpose to review approved engineering offices to finalize the permits, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Applications are submitted by engineering offices accredited by Makkah Municipality and Civil Defence, who will examine those buildings to ensure they meet the required safety and health conditions.

As part of this process, the committee asked the owners who are interested in renting out their houses to accommodate pilgrims to comply with all safety requirements and apply for permits as soon as possible.

In December 2022, the committee began receiving applications for permits for buildings to be approved to house pilgrims for the upcoming Haj season and has since extended the deadline several times.

Haj pilgrimage to Makkah is a mandatory religious duty that must be performed by those Muslims who are physically and financially able to perform it at least once in a lifetime.

Saudi Arabia has announced that the minimum age for this year’s Haj is 12-year-old as the number of pilgrims returns to pre-pandemic levels.