The Ministry of Awqaf Holds Hajj Lottery and Announces Names of Northern Governorate Pilgrims

SadaNews: On Thursday, the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs conducted an electronic lottery for those wishing to perform the Hajj pilgrimage from the northern governorates for the year 1447 AH / 2026.

The Hajj lottery was held in the presence of the Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, Muhammad Mustafa Najm, the Deputy Minister Izzam Abdul Halim, members of the Hajj committee established by a decision from the Cabinet, technical teams responsible for conducting the lottery electronically, directors of awqaf, and official and prominent figures.

Minister Najm stated that the number of registrants for the lottery exceeded 30 citizens from various approved population centers in the northern governorates, including Jerusalem, which reached more than 451 centers.

He affirmed that the Hajj lottery is based on the objectives of Islamic Shari'ah, which aim to establish values of justice, integrity, and fairness, and to promote the principle of transparency, ensuring equal opportunities for all citizens to participate without any discrimination.

Najm explained that the lottery was conducted according to precise arrangements and instructions issued by the Palestinian Cabinet, using an advanced electronic system that ensures the highest levels of integrity, transparency, and equal opportunities among applicants.

He confirmed that the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs is working diligently to consider social justice, emphasizing the Ministry's constant commitment to organizing the Hajj season in a manner that meets the aspirations of the Palestinian people and embodies Islamic and national values.

He noted that the Hajj committee has completed all procedures related to transportation, accommodation, and services, as part of a comprehensive plan aimed at providing the best services for the pilgrims of the Holy House.

For his part, Abdul Halim confirmed the Ministry's commitment to adhering to the highest standards of integrity and transparency in all stages of the Hajj lottery and ongoing efforts to improve procedures to ensure equal opportunities among all applicants.

Abdul Halim indicated that the work of the Hajj committee relied on three main determinants, primarily organizing registration procedures for Hajj, conducting the lottery according to clear and transparent criteria, in addition to selecting committee members based on professional standards that guarantee good performance.

He explained that the proportion of Ministry administrators and guides remained as usual in previous years at 2% for each group, and the proportion of company administrators also remained the same as in previous years at 2%.

He added that among the criteria for the lottery is achieving complete transparency, as a special link was launched to confirm the registration of citizens in the southern governorates who have not previously performed the Hajj since 2023, emphasizing fairness in providing opportunities.

Abdul Halim confirmed that the Ministry continues to work on completing all relevant procedures and that its work is proceeding according to the program and schedule set by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and according to the plan prepared by the Hajj committee, and it is working diligently to serve the pilgrims of the Holy House.

He added that the Ministry has taken a new step regarding pilgrim accommodations, stemming from the citizens' desire to obtain better services, which is to keep the accommodation of pilgrims in Medina in five-star hotels (quadruple rooms with breakfast) for all pilgrims as practiced in previous seasons.

As for the housing of pilgrims in Mecca, the Ministry decided to adopt twin and triple bedding levels only, indicating that the pilgrim can choose the level of accommodation when registering according to his financial capabilities by relying on one of the approved levels, half of which is for land pilgrims and the other half for air pilgrims. The four hotels (pilgrim accommodations) are divided into two parts: one with twin beds like Al-Faiha Palace and Al-Bayda, and the other with triple beds which are Ramada and Al-Ard Al-Mumtaza hotels.

The Ministry called on the pilgrims whose names were announced in the lottery today to complete the registration and booking procedures and pay the applicable fees starting from next Sunday, 8/2/2026, until Monday, 16/2/2026, noting that registration will be at the Awqaf directorates. Abdul Halim also confirmed that the Ministry will specify through its website the necessary requirements for obtaining visas, especially regarding the health conditions required for all pilgrims.

Regarding the southern governorates, the Ministry of Awqaf called on the citizens of the sector who registered in 2023 and could not go to Hajj to confirm their registration by entering the attached link starting from next Sunday, 8/2/2026, until the end of Thursday, 12/2/2026.

The names are here