More than 860,000 foreign pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia for 2026 Hajj season

More than 860,000 foreign pilgrims have so far arrived in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, as the kingdom ramps up large-scale logistical, transport and digital operations ahead of the peak rituals in Mecca, Tawfiq Al Rabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah, said.

Al Rabiah said: "As of Wednesday, 820,000 pilgrims entered the kingdom by air, including 240,000 through the Mecca Route Initiative, while about 35,000 arrived by land crossings and 4,000 by sea."

The minister said Saudi Arabia had mobilised all resources under the directives of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to ensure pilgrims perform rituals with ease and comfort.

Al Rabiah said the kingdom had launched more than 100 initiatives under Saudi Vision 2030 to improve services and enhance the overall pilgrim experience. Authorities have also enabled more than 30 companies to provide services to overseas pilgrims and expanded direct digital bookings through the Nusuk platform for travellers from 126 countries.

Saudi authorities said the Nusuk platform now offers more than 130 digital services and serves over 51 million users worldwide, while the “Hajj Without Luggage” initiative reduced airport processing times from two hours to around 15 minutes by allowing pilgrims to ship baggage directly to their residences.

The minister said infrastructure preparations had also been expanded, including 25 development projects in Mecca and the holy sites, additional shaded areas around Mount Arafat, expanded pedestrian routes and new accommodation projects in Mina.

Saudi authorities have also intensified inspections and crowd management measures ahead of Hajj, conducting more than 50,000 inspection tours since mid-Shawwal to ensure compliance with service standards and pilgrimage regulations, Al Rabiah added.