A serene night view of the Kaaba, surrounded by a vast crowd of worshippers, with two individuals in colorful headscarves observing from above. Photo: AFP
Makkah: The total number of Umrah pilgrims in Saudi Arabia reached 15,222,497 during the first quarter of 2025.
According to a report on Umrah statistics released by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Saudis represented 24 percent of the total, while men accounted for 60.5 percent and women 39.5 percent.
The report show that 6.5 million pilgrims arrived from abroad, an increase of 10.7 percent compared with the same period in 2024. Most international pilgrims, 82.2 percent, entered through airports.
Meanwhile, 8.7 million domestic performers were recorded, with non-Saudis comprising 58 percent.
January 2025 saw the highest share of international pilgrims at 36.5 percent, while March recorded the peak for domestic Umrah at 80.9 percent.
The report also confirmed that 6.45 million visitors travelled to Madinah in the first quarter, including 4.4 million from abroad.
Earlier, the Ministry of Haj and Umrah revealed that 1.2 million pilgrims from 109 countries entered the Kingdom between June 11 and July 25, marking a 30 percent rise compared with 2024.
To enhance access, the ministry recently launched the Nusuk Umrah platform, allowing foreign pilgrims to apply for visas and book services online directly.
Umrah is a non-mandatory pilgrimage to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, performed year-round. It differs from Haj, which is obligatory once in a lifetime and takes place during a specific time each year.