More than 1.5 million pilgrims from outside Saudi Arabia have already entered the kingdom ahead of this year’s hajj pilgrimage, a Saudi official disclosed, surpassing last year’s international arrival figures despite ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
The regional conflict, sparked by US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, led Tehran to launch multiple attacks targeting locations in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.
The escalation disrupted air travel across the region, forcing several flight cancellations and driving up travel expenses for pilgrims.
Airlines across the Gulf, particularly in the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain, have since moved to restore operations after weeks of airspace restrictions and widespread disruptions to scheduled flights.
In spite of the challenges, thousands of Muslim faithful have continued to make their way to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage.
“The total number of pilgrims arriving from abroad has reached 1,518,153,” Saleh Al-Murabba, the commander of Saudi Arabia’s Hajj Passport Forces, told a press conference late Friday.
Authorities expect the figure to increase further over the next two days as more pilgrims arrive before the official commencement of hajj rites on Monday.
Records from last year showed that 1,673,320 pilgrims participated in the hajj, with 1,506,576 travelling from outside Saudi Arabia.
Hajj is regarded as one of Islam’s five pillars and is obligatory at least once in a lifetime for Muslims who are physically and financially capable.
