Hajj Guide: Uzbekistan

The Committee on Religious Affairs and the Haji Commission manage registration through a lottery system. Pilgrims apply through mahalla (neighborhood) committees. Requirements include valid passport (6+ months), vaccination certificates, medical fitness report, and full payment. Priority is given to elderly and first-time jamaah haji.

Haji operations are organized by the state-run Haji Commission. Private operators must receive government authorization. The Commission coordinates all logistics including flights, accommodation, and ground transport in Arab Saudi.

Uzbekistan is the most populous Central Asian country with over 33 million people, approximately 90% Muslim. The Hanafi school predominates. Uzbek jamaah haji should prepare for the language barrier — Uzbek and Russian are primary languages. Historic Islamic heritage sites in Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva make Uzbekistan a center of Islamic learning.