British Muslims Unable to Book Hajj Packages as Quota Filled
British Muslims are no longer able to "reserve their spots" for this year's Hajj pilgrimage as the limited number of slots allocated to British pilgrims has been declared "sold out."
Nusuk, a new portal launched by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to manage Hajj packages for Western pilgrims, confirmed last Tuesday that all slots for British Muslims have been filled.
"We would like to confirm that our current packages for the UK are indeed sold out, and full capacity has been reached. However, we recommend checking availability regularly as new packages may be released," Nusuk stated on its Twitter social media account.
According to www.middleeasteye.net on Thursday (May 25, 2023), the Council for British Hajjis (CBH), a charitable organization supporting British Muslims wishing to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, also confirmed that the quota for 2023 has been fulfilled.
"Nusuk has confirmed that the Hajj quota for the UK has now been fulfilled," stated CBH UK in a recent statement.
CBH added that additional spaces may become available if other British pilgrims cancel their packages and urged British Muslims to continue checking the Nusuk website.
The exact number of slots allocated by Saudi Arabia for the UK in the upcoming Hajj season, starting on June 28 and concluding on July 1, remains unclear.
It is important to note that Muslims consider the Hajj pilgrimage a fundamental pillar of Islam and are obligated to perform it at least once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially capable.