The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Haj and Umrah, Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, announced that more than 18.5 million pilgrims from outside the Kingdom performed Haj and Umrah in 2024. This included:
- 16,924,689 Umrah performers
- 1,611,310 Haj pilgrims
The announcement was made at the fourth edition of the Haj and Umrah Conference and Exhibition in Jeddah.
Al-Rabiah attributed this success to the directives of King Salman and the support of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
He highlighted the implementation of new systems at Al Rawdah Al Sharifah in the Prophet’s Mosque significantly boosted visitor numbers from 4 million in 2022 to over 13 million in 2024.
The minister also introduced the latest version of the “Nusuk” application, offering more than 100 additional services to enhance the pilgrim experience.
He noted that the rise in the number of Haj companies to 45 has improved competitiveness and enhanced satisfaction with pilgrim services.
Al-Rabiah emphasised the importance of Haj and Umrah for Muslims and commended the Kingdom’s dedication to providing seamless, accessible, and spiritually fulfilling journeys for all pilgrims.
Saudi Arabia’s efforts in 2023
In 2023, Saudi Arabia hosted approximately:
- 1.84 million Haj pilgrims, with 1.66 million from outside the Kingdom.
- Over 13.5 million Muslims participated in the Umrah pilgrimage.
Understanding Umrah and Haj
Umrah and Haj are two Islamic pilgrimages to the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia. While both are significant acts of worship, they differ in terms of importance, rituals, and timing.
Here’s an overview of each:
Umrah is a voluntary pilgrimage, often referred to as the “lesser pilgrimage.” It can be performed at any time of the year.
Haj, a major pilgrimage and one of the five pillars of Islam, is mandatory for all financially and physically capable Muslims at least once in their lifetime. It is performed during specific dates in the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah (8th to 12th).
