Over 18 million pilgrims visited Saudi Arabia in 2024

Cairo: Saudi Arabia received last year more than 18.5 million Muslims who performed the annual Hajj or Umrah (lesser pilgrimage), a senior Saudi official has said.

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfik Al Rabiah added in an address at the UK-based Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies that Saudi Arabia had launched several initiatives to give the pilgrims access to various comfortable services.

They include the Electronic Track in collaboration with more than 80 countries, and the Nusk platform available in 126 countries that allows pilgrims to manage their trips without intermediaries.

The Nusuk platform facilitates procedures including accommodation for Muslims from around the world planning to perform Umrah in the holy city of Mecca and visit Medina, home to Islam’s second holiest site.

Another digital initiative is smart cards that feature personal and health information about the pilgrims, facilitating their movement and ensuring their safety.

Al Rabiah noted that artificial intelligence is being used in the Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site in Mecca, to manage crowds and respond quickly to emergencies without disrupting the serenity of the place.

He also said that the Nusuk app, which offers more than 100 digital services in 20 languages, has contributed to the issuance of more than 13 million permits to visit Al Rawda Al Sharifa, where the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) is located in his mosque in Medina, up from 4 million in 2022.

After performing Umrah in the Grand Mosque,  many pilgrims would head to Medina to perform prayers in the Prophet’s Mosque.

The main rituals of the Umrah are encircling the Holy Kaaba for seven times known as Tawaf, and likewise walking back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah, a rite called Sa’i, in the Grand Mosque.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has set April 29, corresponding to the first day of the Islamic lunar month of Dhul Qadah, as the final day for foreign Umrah pilgrims to leave the country, as the kingdom is stepping up preparations for the upcoming Hajj season.