Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, the Saudi Arabian Minister of Hajj and Umrah, declared that women pilgrims are no longer obliged to be accompanied by a mahram (blood relative), who is typically a male guardian, when performing Hajj or Umrah (lesser Hajj).
When performing Hajj, a woman is required by Saudi law to have a Mahram (guardian), who may be her father, husband, blood brother, or biological son.
According to Hajj Reporters, a Nigerian newspaper that covers Hajj operations, the minister made this statement on Monday in Egypt during a meeting with his counterpart, the Egyptian Interior Minister, Mahmoud Tawfik, about the 2023 Hajj preparations.
The announcement put an end to the debate sparked by the kingdom's 2019 policy introduction.
Since then, the country has only allowed women above 40 years to travel to the country in the last lesser Hajj season without a guardian.
With the new announcement on Monday, all eligible women can now travel to the Holy Land with or without male guardians for Hajj and lesser Hajj.