Hajj arrivals surpass last year’s level despite regional conflict
More than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage, exceeding last year’s international attendance despite ongoing regional tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran, a Saudi official said.
The escalation followed U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, prompting Tehran to launch waves of attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. The confrontation disrupted regional air traffic, triggered temporary airspace closures, and drove up travel costs across the Middle East.
Major Gulf carriers based in the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain have since moved to restore much of their flight capacity after weeks of cancellations and operational disruptions.
Despite the instability, pilgrims have continued to travel to Saudi Arabia in large numbers to take part in this year’s Hajj.
“The total number of pilgrims arriving from abroad has reached 1,518,153,” Saleh Al-Murabba, commander of Saudi Arabia’s Hajj Passport Forces, told a press conference late Friday.
Saudi authorities expect the number to increase further over the coming days as additional pilgrims arrive ahead of the official start of Hajj rituals on Monday.
According to official figures, total Hajj attendance last year stood at 1,673,320 pilgrims, including 1,506,576 visitors from outside Saudi Arabia.
Hajj, one of Islam’s five pillars, is a religious obligation that must be performed at least once by every Muslim who is physically and financially able to do so.
