Muslim pilgrims 'stone the devil' as haj nears end

Limited numbers of pilgrims this year in the wake of the pandemic helped improve the experience

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims threw pebbles on giant columns symbolising Satan on Saturday, part of the haj pilgrimage that has drawn to a close as Muslims around the world celebrated the first day of Eid al-Adha feast, Qazet.az reports.

Helicopters hovered overhead while security officers organised the flow of worshippers in Jamarat, where the stoning ritual takes place, as Saudi authorities closely watched the crowds to ensure an incident-free haj, which has been marred in the past by deadly stampedes.

"Everything was easy, from organising the crowd, or the stoning in Jamarat, to the Tawaf," said a Palestinian pilgrim who only gave her first name, Nussaiba.

Saudi Arabia has said up to one million pilgrims, mostly from abroad, are expected this haj season after two years of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic during which the authorities allowed only Saudi residents to perform the pilgrimage.