Hajj: More Than 1.5 Million Pilgrims Arrive in Saudi Arabia, Breaking 2025 Record

More than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the kingdom for the current Hajj, according to a Saudi official. The figure surpasses the number of international visitors in 2025, even amid regional tensions.

The escalation of the conflict began after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. The hostilities caused widespread air‑traffic disruptions and drove up travel costs.

Gulf carriers based in the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain have worked to restore most of their operational capacity after weeks of airspace closures and flight cancellations.

Despite these challenges, pilgrims have continued to travel to Saudi Arabia to participate in this year’s Hajj.

“The total number of pilgrims arriving from abroad has reached 1,518,153,” Saleh Al‑Murabba, commander of Saudi Arabia’s Hajj Passport Forces, said at a press conference late Friday.

Officials expect the count to rise further over the next two days as more pilgrims arrive ahead of the formal rituals that begin on Monday.

In 2025, the total number of pilgrims at the Hajj was 1,673,320, of which 1,506,576 came from outside Saudi Arabia.

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be performed at least once by every Muslim who is physically and financially able.

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