(The Saudis are keeping every Muslim as a hostage and profiting. Gadafi had a plan to erect his own large cubed black stone monument to avoid visiting Saudi Arabia. )
Hajj: Price rises making pilgrimage increasingly unaffordable
BBC June 2023
A Muslim woman prays on Mount Arafat during the Hajj pilgrimage, near Mecca, Saudi Arabia (27 June 2023)Image source, EPA
Image caption,
The Hajj reached its climax on Tuesday, with pilgrims gathering at Mount Arafat to pray and recite the Quran
By Sally Nabil
BBC Arabic, Cairo
Some 1.8 million Muslims from across the world made it to Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to mark the most important day of the Hajj. But due to global price rises, the pilgrimage is becoming increasingly unaffordable.
"The number of bookings has significantly dropped this year. It's too costly for many people," says an employee at a private Egyptian tour operator in charge of organising Hajj trips, who wanted to remain anonymous out of fear of a backlash over their criticism of their country's economic situation.
In Egypt, the most populous Arab country, the cheapest government-sponsored pilgrimage currently costs around $6,000 (£4,720) - double what it was last year.
The price hike has been fuelled by the sharp devaluation of the Egyptian pound, which has lost more than 50% of its value against the US dollar since March 2022. As a result, the cost of living has also skyrocketed, with annual core inflation hitting 40% in May.
About 30% of the population was living below the government's poverty line before the Covid-19 pandemic, and the World Bank says the figure is likely to have risen since then.
'My dream'
Farida, a retired Egyptian civil servant, saved to go on the Hajj for five years.
"All my savings are not enough to pay for the trip. When I saw the price list, I was shocked," she says.
Farida - not her real name - is a widow and mother of five. She also asked not to be identified because she did not want to publicly criticise Egyptian authorities over the rising cost of living.
Farida says that performing the Hajj is "my dream", adding: "Hajj cleanses the soul."
She says her children are all married, so "social and financial responsibilities have been lifted off my shoulders". "It is about time to go to Hajj."
Muslims pray at Mecca's Great Mosque in preparation for the start of the Hajj pilgrimage (25 June 2023)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-66040873