On 2nd of February, an official delegation of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation headed by a member of the Federation Council, Commissioner for Hajj Affairs under the Government of the Russian Federation Ilyas Umakhanov held a meeting in Riyadh with the Minister for Hajj and Umrah Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tawfiq bin Fawzan al-Rabia. The main theme of the meeting was the organization of the Hajj of Russian Muslims in 2022 in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Saudi side confirmed its intention to hold the Hajj this year, but the details of the organization will be known later. The format of the Hajj season in 2022 will be determined by the Saudi side depending on the epidemiological situation in the world, including in the countries from where the pilgrims come, said the head of the Hajj mission of Russia, Hizbula Asuev, who took part in the meeting.

The Russian delegation to the KSA also included Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Agrarian and Food Policy and Environmental Management Belan Khamchiev. The program of the visit includes several more meetings with representatives of the KSA authorities.

Deputy Prime Minister, at the request of the Russian side, the Saudi authorities allowed foreigners vaccinated with two doses of Sputnik V vaccination to visit the kingdom from 1st of January 2022.