Pilgrims gather at the Kaaba door in Makkah. Photo: AFP
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia recorded more than 15.2 million Umrah performers during the first quarter of 2026, with domestic performers accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total.
According to a report on Umrah statistics released by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) on Sunday, August 23, a total of 15,233,767 people performed Umrah during the first quarter of 2026, with men accounting for 59.4 per cent and women 40.6 per cent.
Domestic performers numbered approximately 9.46 million, compared with 5.77 million who arrived from outside Saudi Arabia. Saudi Umrah performers accounted for 28.9 per cent of the overall number during the quarter.
The total number of external Umrah performers reached 5,769,271 in the first quarter of 2026. Of these, 2,777,904 were male, representing 48.2 per cent, while 2,991,367 were female, accounting for 51.9 per cent of the total external Umrah performers.
Airports were the main entry points for international pilgrims, with 86 per cent arriving by air. Land crossings accounted for 13.6 per cent, while 0.4 per cent entered through seaports.
January recorded the highest number of external Umrah performers during the quarter, with 2.24 million, representing 38.8 per cent of the three-month total. March recorded the lowest figure, at about 1.39 million.
Domestic Umrah activity peaked in February, when 4.56 million internal performers were recorded, representing 48.2 per cent of the quarterly total. January had the lowest monthly figure, with about 1.30 million.
Family trips were the most common type of domestic Umrah journey, accounting for 75.4 per cent of internal performers. Individual journeys represented 17.2 per cent, while trips with friends accounted for 7.4 per cent.
The Makkah region recorded the highest number of domestic Umrah performers, with about 4.07 million, or 43 per cent of the total. Riyadh followed with 2.03 million, while the Northern Borders region recorded the lowest figure at 41,718.
The data also showed differences in the age profile of domestic and international performers. Among external performers, those aged 55–64 years formed the largest age group, accounting for 18.8 per cent. For internal performers, the 25–34 age group had the largest share at 25.3 per cent.
Most domestic performers undertook Umrah once during the quarter. About 9.03 million performed Umrah once, while 438,388 performed it more than once.
GASTAT also reported 3.74 million external visitors to Madinah during the first quarter for religious purposes. Internal visitors to Madinah for the same purpose numbered nearly 1.98 million, taking the combined number of visitors to about 5.7 million.
Saudi Arabia’s 1448 AH/2026 Umrah season has also seen a rise in international arrivals. The Kingdom welcomed 931,500 Umrah pilgrims between Dhu Al-Hijjah 15 and the end of Muharram, representing a 22.5 per cent increase in Umrah visa arrivals during the opening weeks of the season.
The Kingdom began issuing visas for the new Umrah season on May 31, following the conclusion of the 1447 AH Haj season. The season is scheduled to continue until March 23, 2027, while the final date for issuing Umrah visas is March 9, 2027.
Pilgrims must enter Saudi Arabia by March 23 and leave the Kingdom by April 7. Umrah permits and related services are available through Nusuk, the Kingdom’s unified digital platform for pilgrimage services.
On July 20, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Haj and Umrah introduced a one-year multiple-entry Umrah visa. The visa is valid for 365 days and allows eligible pilgrims to make multiple visits to the Kingdom during its validity.
This post was last modified on August 23, 2026 7:04 pm