Annual Hajj pilgrimage sees arrival of nearly 1.5 million foreign pilgrims to Saudi Arabia

Mecca Welcomes Muslim Pilgrims Ahead of Hajj

After three years of pandemic-induced restrictions, Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, has returned to its monumental scale, with close to 1.5 million foreign pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia by air so far. Saudi officials expect the number of pilgrims to reach pre-pandemic levels, with hundreds of thousands of Saudis and others living in the country also attending the event, which officially begins on Monday.

The Return of the Grand Mosque

On Friday, pilgrims thronged the Grand Mosque in Mecca to attend weekly communal prayers, and many performed the ritual circuit walking around the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site. In 2019, over 2.4 million Muslims performed the pilgrimage, with large crowds circling the Kaaba expected to continue into the Hajj’s first day.

Carrying on Despite the Heat

With temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit), pilgrims walked for kilometers from bus lots into the Grand Mosque area in central Mecca, often jostling with barricades set up by security forces to direct the giant flows of people. Despite the heat, many pilgrims converged on nearby shops and malls to buy souvenirs.

The Largest Assembly of Muslims Worldwide

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all Muslims who are physically and financially able to do so are required to undertake it at least once in their lives. It is one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, with this year’s pilgrimage being the first without the restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic.

Record-Breaking Attendance

According to the Saudi media ministry, over 1.49 million foreign pilgrims had arrived through the country’s international ports by Wednesday, with 1.43 million travelling by air. This year’s event has seen record-breaking attendance numbers, with fewer than 10,000 pilgrims performing the Hajj in 2020 and around 60,000 in 2021—all residents of Saudi Arabia since pilgrims were forbidden to come from abroad. Last year, around 900,000 made the pilgrimage as Saudi Arabia allowed limited numbers of pilgrims from abroad.