Saudi Arabia: Over 52 million worshippers visit Mecca and Medina during Safar

Dubai: More than 52 million pilgrims and worshippers visited Islam’s two holiest mosques during the month of Safar, according to figures released Saturday by Saudi Arabia’s The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque.

The authority reported that 21.4 million people prayed at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, including 51,100 in the semi-circular Hijr Ismail area, while 7.5 million performed Umrah. 

At the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, 20.6 million worshippers were recorded, among them 1.1 million who prayed in the Rawdah Al Sharifah. More than two million also offered greetings to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions.

The authority said the tallies were measured using advanced sensor technology installed at key entry points, allowing real-time monitoring of pilgrim flows and crowd management. It emphasized that the system is part of efforts to raise operational efficiency and ensure smooth movement for worshippers.

This year’s Umrah season has seen robust growth, with international arrivals up more than 10 percent to 2.5 million.

Of these, 1.7 million came on Umrah visas issued inside the Kingdom, while the total number of visas granted rose 33 percent compared with the same period last year.

Overall, the authority noted a 38 percent jump in the number of Umrah pilgrims compared with 2024, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s expanding capacity to accommodate millions of worshippers.