Over 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the kingdom for the upcoming hajj, according to a Saudi official, exceeding the number of international visitors last year despite the war in the Middle East.
The conflict triggered by the US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February saw Tehran order waves of strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf, prompting widespread air traffic disruptions and causing travel costs to surge.
Despite these complications, pilgrims have continued to flock to Saudi Arabia to participate in this year’s Hajj. The total number of pilgrims arriving from abroad has reached 1,518,153, with figures expected to rise further over the next two days as pilgrims continue to arrive ahead of the formal rituals marking the beginning of the hajj on Monday.
Last year, the total number of pilgrims at the hajj reached 1,673,320, including 1,506,576 from outside Saudi Arabia. The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means.