News: Hajj registration reopens in Ethiopia after brief suspension; deadline extended to end of March

Addis Abeba –The Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council has announced the resumption of Hajj registration, which was suspended two weeks ago.

The council confirmed that the Hajj registration service, initiated on 23 January, 2025, ended on 29 February, 2025, as “mandated by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.” However, the registration period will now extend until 28 March, 2025.

Speaking to the media on 12 March, 2025, Sheikh Haji Ibrahim Tufa, President of the Supreme Council, stated that registration center coordinators had repeatedly reported that many believers intending to perform Hajj remained unregistered. He noted that the Joint Committee on Hajj and Umrah had raised the issue with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and requested an extension.

“The registration habits of Ethiopian pilgrims are typically concentrated during and after Ramadan, and the resulting information gap contributed to many believers with Hajj intentions remaining unregistered,” said Sheikh Abdulaziz Abdulwale, Vice President of the Supreme Council and Head of the Hajj and Umrah division.

Sheikh Abdulaziz also pointed out that the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj had introduced numerous operational changes, which led to a shortened registration period. “The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj has accepted the Supreme Council’s request for an extension and has extended the registration period until 28 March, 2025,” he added.

Reports indicate that Saudi Arabia has implemented significant changes for Hajj 2025 to enhance crowd control, improve safety, and streamline the pilgrimage process. Notable updates include the issuance of single-entry visas exclusively with pilgrims from fourteen countries expected to receive single-entry visas valid for 30 days. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has revised expatriate visa renewal and exit/re-entry policies for residents.

Last month, Addis Standard reported that the Supreme Council set the fee for Ethiopian Muslims to perform Hajj at 625,000 birr this year, marking a significant increase of nearly 90% compared to the previous year. In previous years, the cost of Hajj for Ethiopian Muslims was 329,000 birr. Council leaders attributed the increase, in part, to the depreciation of the local currency against the US dollar.

Hajj is scheduled to take place between 4 and 9 June, 2025. Last year, more than 1.83 million Muslims performed Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

According to the council, Ethiopia has been allocated one of the highest Hajj quotas in Africa, receiving 43,000 slots—second only to Nigeria. AS