The first batch of pilgrims arrived on Saturday at the Grand Mosque in Macca to perform their first ritual for Hajj, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The ritual was performed with huge preparations and precautionary measures against COVID-19, and there are different locations that can accommodate 11,000 pilgrims in total, according to the General Presidency for Affairs of Two Holy Mosques and the director of crowd management at the Grand Mosque. Read: 2021 Hajj: Registrations limited to Saudi citizens, residents More than 500 employees have been called in to receive pilgrims since early morning, said the director Osama bin Mansour Al-Hujaili. Read: Bangladesh makes Covid vaccine mandatory for Hajj pilgrims It is the second consecutive Hajj limited to domestic pilgrims only in an attempt to prevent the outbreak of COVID-19. Read: Hajj Management Bill passed to deal with irregularities About 60,000 Muslims, selected by the authorities from 558,000 registered ones, will take part in the 2021 Hajj season, while the number was 2.5 million in 2019.   

After seven months of shutdown, pilgrims have started to return to Mecca as Saudi Arabia eased coronavirus restrictions.