inp.polri.go.id - Saudi Arabia is ready to welcome one million pilgrims who will perform the pilgrimage starting Thursday (7/7). This number is the largest since the Covid-19 pandemic. Posters for welcoming the people were seen posted in several areas of Mecca. It was also seen that security forces began patrolling the city. According to AFP, pilgrims in white clothes began to crowd the streets in Mecca. "This is happiness. I can hardly believe I can be here. I am enjoying every moment of it," said a pilgrim in Mecca, Sudan Abdel Qader Kheder, told AFP. Kheder is one of about one million pilgrims allowed to attend this year's hajj. A total of 850 thousand of them came from abroad. According to Saudi authorities, at least 650,000 pilgrims had arrived in the country as of Sunday (3/7). This is the first time Saudi Arabia has allowed one million foreign pilgrims to attend the Hajj pilgrimage since the Covid-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic hit in 2019, around 2.5 million people were allowed to perform the pilgrimage. When the pandemic hit in 2020, foreigners were prohibited from attending the worship, while the hajj quota was limited to only 10,000. In 2021, the Hajj quota in Saudi Arabia was increased to 60,000, but only for Saudi citizens who have been fully vaccinated. Then in 2022, Saudi Arabia decided to open a Hajj quota to one million people, including foreign pilgrims. However, in practice, they have to adhere to strict health protocols. Pilgrims must wear masks at the Grand Mosque. Not only that, foreign pilgrims must show a negative PCR test result before performing the worship. The maximum age of the pilgrimage is also limited to 65 years. Saudi authorities said the Grand Mosque would also be cleaned ten times a day and cleaned by more than 4,000 workers. More than 130 thousand liters of disinfectant were also used to clean the holy place. Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. When performing Hajj, people will surround the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque, gather at the Arafah Field, and throw stones at Mina.