 Now, Muslim pilgrims vaccinated against COVID-19 have gathered for the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, which has barred worshipers from abroad for a second year running, due to the pandemic and has also restricted entry from inside the kingdom. Clad in white and carrying umbrellas against the blistering summer sun, 60,000 Saudi citizens and residents are performing their right. A want in the lifetime duty for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it, compared with some 2.5 million in 2019. Saudi Arabia, which last year allowed a few thousand to perform the Hajj, is home to Islam's holiest site in Mecca and Medina and the country's strives to ensure a peaceful Hajj, which has been marred in their past by deadly stampeds, fires and riots. With the coronavirus the main concern this year, authorities have restricted access to pilgrims aged 18 to 65 who have been fully vaccinated or immunized against the virus and do not suffer from chronic diseases.