Saudi Arabia’s air, land and sea gateways have processed over one million people arriving in the Kingdom to take part in this year’s Hajj.
According to the General Directorate of Passports, a total of 1.1 million pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia this week, ahead of the official commencement of the annual pilgrimage on 4 June.
Of course, Saudi Arabia was completely prepared for the rush of visitors, having welcomed 1.8 people for the pilgrimage last year, and having declared that the Kingdom was expecting to host 15 million pilgrims for both Hajj and Umrah in 2025.
Unlike Umrah, Hajj is a compulsory pilgrimage amongst those practising the Islamic faith and must be carried out at least once in a lifetime by those who are able. The pilgrimage takes place over five-to-six days at Kaaba in the Saudi city of Mecca and includes a series of prayers and rituals such as the tawaf, seven counter clockwise walks around Kaaba.
Although not required, many pilgrims will also take the opportunity to also visit Medina, the home to the tomb of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.
While rituals and prayers will take place as expected, Saudi Arabia and its tourism industry has made slight changes this year to better the pilgrimage experience. For example, Saudia, the Kingdom’s national flag carrier, allocated one million seats for the religious event in the hopes of capturing up to 35% of all pilgrims. The airline also deployed 11,000 frontline staff and maintenance technicians to operate within a 74-day window, in order to provide reliable services and customer experiences.
In the Kingdom itself, Saudi Arabia’s leaders adjusted the rules of Hajj this year to better manage numbers and prevent overcrowding. Among the changes was the launch of single-entry visas for pilgrims from 14 countries; Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen. Under the new visa, the Kingdom hopes to prevent un-registered people from undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage.
The Kingdom also introduced a ban on children from the holy site to reduce any risks to younger pilgrims. Read about other 2025 Hajj and Umrah rules here.
“This step has been taken to ensure the safety and well-being of children and to mitigate any potential harm during the Hajj pilgrimage.” – The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
in realted news, Dubai Airports has launched a comprehensive plan to facilitate the smooth departure and return of pilgrims undertaking Hajj 2025. The airport has implemented various measures, including dedicated check-in counters, prayer rooms and changing facilities for Ihram preparation. Multilingual ambassadors and Hajj committee support desks will also be available to assist pilgrims.
Around 3,100 pilgrims are expected to depart from Dubai International on 28 dedicated flights operated by major airlines. Dubai Airports has urged pilgrims to arrive at least four hours prior to departure and to carry all required travel documents.
Also read: Faith, art, and architecture: 10 iconic mosques in the Middle East
