Moroccan Islamic jurist Ahmed Raissouni has criticized Saudi Arabia’s management of the pilgrimage. The man, who is close to Qatar, believes that Hajj must be arranged by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation instead of Riyadh.
Unlike previous years, King Salman might not be holidaying in Morocco. The decision comes as the Moroccan Saudi diplomatic relations are deteriorating.
The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are the first countries to support Morocco after it decided to cut diplomatic ties with Iran. Meanwhile, neighboring country Kuwait has not reacted to the situation yet.
UAE-based newspaper Al Bayan accused Qatar of planning to destabilize the Kingdom of Morocco by giving Islamist illegal association Al Adl wal Ihsane a chance to express its fundamentalist positions in an interview.
Because of the support Morocco showed lately for Qatar, Saudi Arabia's vote for the 2026 World Cup will be based on what serves its own interest.
King Mohammed VI has started a tour of the Gulf countries on Tuesday with the Qatar crisis on top of the agenda. The Sovereign has arrived in Abu Dhabi for a friendship and working visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is expected to be received in Qatar on Sunday.