Rise of Hajj tour cost worries residents of Chechnya

Chechnya has stated accepting documents from believers who wish to make a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. This year, the cost of pilgrimage has grown up by almost 10% and amounts to 3600 US dollars, the Muftiate of Chechnya has informed. Some residents of the republic and Instagram users find the cost of the tour too high.

"This year, the reception of documents from those who wish to make the Hajj was started on February 14. It is done by the Hajj Committee, which also provides explanations on the preparation and commission of the Hajj. This year the cost of the tour will make 3600 US dollars per person; this is about 230,000 roubles," a source from the republic's Muftiate has informed.

"Our pilgrims' quota remains the same – 2600 people. Documents will be received until April 20, and first groups will leave in the second half of July," said the source from the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM, or Muftiate) said.

Some residents of Chechnya told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that they considered the cost of a Hajj tour too high. "I've been collecting money for two years now to make my Hajj, but I'm afraid it's unlikely to happen under such prices. Every year, for some reason, prices go up ... For ordinary people, Hajj has become practically inaccessible," said Alikhan, a resident of Grozny.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 16, 2020 at 11:45 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.