By Hadi Fornaji.
Tunis, 24 March 2017:
The Presidency Council’s government of national accord has announced that online applications to register for the lottery to decide those who can perform the Haj in Mecca this year will start on 29 March. Registrations will close a fortnight later on 13 April.
Applicants should register online via the Haj website: www.hajj.ly
Libya’s Haj quota is expected to be back to 7,000 this year, up from the 5,600 for the past four years, following the completion of renovation and upgrading works at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
Last year, political divisions within the country almost deprived applicants from the east of the country from performing the Haj after the authorities in the east refused to collaborate on applications with those in the west. The latter are recognised by the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umra as the only Libyan body to process registrations.
The Haj this year is expected to last from the evening of Wednesday, 30 August. and end on the evening of Monday, 4 September, depending on sighting of the new moon.