The Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs has announced that registration for Haj this year (1444 AH), will begin on Sunday, February 12, and continue for a month.
Addressing a press conference Wednesday, the Haj and Umrah Department at the ministry also announced new requirements for expatriates in Qatar wishing to perform Haj this year.
Accordingly, expatriates must be no less than 40 years of age, with 10 years of residency in Qatar, in order to apply for a Haj permit. For Qatari nationals and GCC citizens residing in Qatar, the age requirement is a minimum of 18 years.
Ali bin Sultan al-Misifri, director of the department, shed light on the requirements for this year's Haj, including basic conditions identified and approved by the Ministry of Haj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia.
Applicants can register for Haj permits from 8am on February 12 on the website.
The official explained that all those wishing to apply for a Haj permit must have received two doses of Covid-19 vaccination. Pilgrims must declare both vaccination dates - for the first and second shots - and provide proof of vaccination along with the application.
Applicants must provide their ID card number and the card's expiration date, in addition to their phone number.
A message will be sent to the applicant containing a link, which will redirect them to the page where the process can be completed. A passport copy and e-mail address must be provided along with other required details.
The applicant will also be directed to give the details of accompanying pilgrims, if any, who can be added to the application before the process is completed and the application submitted.
After that, the applicant will receive a number that can be used to track the application status.
Al-Misifri explained that these requirements have been put in place by the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah, noting that the age ceiling will be removed this year. “Some improvements and amendments have been made to the registration system for this season at an initial stage, which will be developed in the future. All necessary details should be provided to complete the registration process,” he said, adding that the results are expected to be announced between one week and 10 days after the registration closing date.
