Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah made the decision, dated 6 June 2022, to assume full control over Ḥajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage in commemoration of the rites of Abraham, his wife Hagar, and the would-be sacrifice of their son Ishmael. They issued the decision only weeks before Ḥajj season, to require pilgrims from Europe, America, and Australia for this year’s Ḥajj (1443H/2022AD) to petition individually rather than in groups via a new lottery system and to use their portal exclusively, rather than arrange their trips through the local groups that ordinarily lead, educate, and organize tours for Muslims in the West. The Saudi portal is meant to enable visa processing and monitor COVID-19 protocols.