The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has allowed women to register themselves for the annual Hajj pilgrimage without a male guardian. “Those wishing to perform Hajj will have to register individually. Women can register without a Mahram [male guardian] along with other women,” Saudi media quoted the Saudi Hajj ministry as saying. Last week, Saudi Arabia had announced that it would allow 60,000 residents, vaccinated against Covid-19, to perform Hajj this year, as the kingdom bars Muslims from abroad from entering the country for the annual ritual for a second straight year. The Hajj – a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lives – typically packs millions of pilgrims into the holiest sites of Islam.