Sawt Falasteen - Bahrain MPs Approve Five-Year Wait for Repeat Hajj Pilgrims

Bahrain’s Parliament has approved an urgent proposal that imposes a five-year waiting period on individuals who have already performed the Hajj pilgrimage. The measure aims to prioritize Hajj permits for first-time pilgrims and those who were previously denied places, addressing concerns about equitable access to the limited number of available spots.

Under the approved rules, Bahrainis who are denied a Hajj permit in any given year would automatically move to the front of the queue for the following year. This provision spares them the need to re-register and compete against a new batch of applicants for the kingdom’s limited quota.

Conversely, anyone who has received a Hajj permit will be barred from obtaining another until five years have passed since their last pilgrimage. The MPs argued that this gap is necessary to spread available places among more citizens without preventing anyone from performing the ritual again.

MP Khalid BuAnaq, who introduced the proposal alongside four fellow lawmakers, stated that the current system unfairly penalized those who missed out through no fault of their own. He noted that many applicants meet all requirements but still fail to secure a spot due to the limited number of places Bahrain is allocated.

"Some people meet all the requirements and still miss out on a Hajj permit, through no fault of their own," BuAnaq said. "Bahrain has a limited number of places, and it is only fair that those who missed out get first chance the following year."

The MPs highlighted that under the previous system, individuals who had already performed Hajj multiple times in quick succession could receive permits while others waited years for their first opportunity. By enforcing the five-year interval, the proposal seeks to create a balance between those hoping to return to Mecca and those yet to perform the pilgrimage.

Applicants who miss out will retain their names on the list and advance ahead of new applicants when permits are distributed the following year. Repeat pilgrims must also wait their turn under the new framework.

N.Shalabi--SF-PST