The official delegation of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation headed by Ilyas Umakhanov, Member of the Federation Council and Hajj executive, met with Tawfiq bin Fawzan al-Rabia, Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on February, 2, in Riyadh.  The meeting was mainly dedicated to the hajj organisation for Russian Muslims in 2022 in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Saudi party confirmed their intention to organise the hajj this year, but the details of the arrangements will follow later. The format of the Hajj season 2022 will be determined by Saudi Arabia depending on the global epidemiological situation, taking into account the travellers' countries of origin, said the head of the Hajj mission Khizbulah Asuyev.

The Russian delegation to the KSA also included Belan Khamchiyev, deputy chairman of the Council of the Federation Committee for Agrarian and Food Policy and Environmental Management. The visit programme includes several meetings with representatives of the Qatari authorities.

It should also be noted that at the request of the Russian side, starting from the 1st January 2022 the Saudi authorities allowed entry to foreigners vaccinated with two doses of the Sputnik V vaccine.