Over 2 million pilgrims are moving to Muzdalifah after having climbed Arafat, the Saudi Press Agency has reported. At Arafat, many prayed the noon and afternoon prayers at Namira Mosque.
As part of the rituals of the Hajj for 9 Dhulhijjah, corresponding to 20 August, they will pray the sunset and the evening prayers at Muzdalifah, after which they will collect pebbles for stoning the Jamrat al-Aqaba in Mina the next day. They will spend part of the night at Muzdalifah, arriving in Mina by dawn to conduct Eid prayers.
Eid occurs on 10 Dhulhijjah. After the Eid prayers the pilgrims will stone the Jamrat pillars which represent Satan, and proceed to animal sacrifices.
The same day the kiswah (الكسوة) or embroidered cloth cover for the Ka'abah was replaced by 160 technicians, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Some of the last pilgrims to arrive, on 17 August, came from the families of martyrs of the Yemeni National Army. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the KSA Ministry of the Interior has hosted the families of martyrs to perform Hajj rituals for 15 years. Some 3,450 pilgrims are being hosted under this programme this year. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Guest Program for Hajj and Umrah for this year hosts another 5,400 pilgrims from 95 countries. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will pay expenses for sacrifices for both sets of pilgrims.
As of 8 Dhulhijjah, 19 August, when the Hajj began, 1,981,771 pilgrims had arrived in Makkah, said the General Commission for Statistics. According to the General Authority for Statistics, KSA, the total number of Hajj pilgrims for this year is 2,368,873 pilgrims as of 5am, 20 August.