Nearly 79 million worshippers flood Mecca and Medina in Rajab

Dubai: More than 78 million worshippers and pilgrims passed through Islam’s two holiest sites during the lunar month of Rajab, a surge that Saudi authorities say demonstrates both rising demand and the growing sophistication of the Kingdom’s systems for managing sacred crowds.

According to figures released by the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, a total of 78,843,425 visitors entered the Two Holy Mosques during Rajab 1447 AH, one of the busiest periods outside the peak Hajj season.

Of those, 14.9 million pilgrims performed Umrah, while the Grand Mosque in Mecca received nearly 35 million worshippers over the course of the month. More than 54,000 prayed in the Hijr Ismail area adjacent to the Kaaba, a space of particular spiritual significance.

In Medina, the Prophet’s Mosque welcomed 25.1 million worshippers, with 1.29 million praying in the Rawdah Al-Sharifah. A further 2.59 million visitors offered greetings at the resting place of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his two companions.

The authority said the numbers were calculated using a “throughput” methodology that tracks total entries, providing a comprehensive picture of visitor flows across prayer and visitation sites.

The figures also underline a sharp rise in international Umrah travel. More than two million pilgrims arrived from outside Saudi Arabia during Rajab alone, representing worshippers from across the Muslim world and beyond. Authorities attributed the increase to expanded digital services and integrated logistics that have simplified visa processing, travel coordination and on-the-ground movement.