By Pelumi Adesokan
Makkah is expanding its hospitality infrastructure as Saudi Arabia prepares to accommodate growing numbers of Hajj pilgrims and Umrah visitors, with more than 268,000 licensed accommodation rooms recorded in the holy city.
The figure, released by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism, represents the licensed accommodation capacity in Makkah by the end of 2024. The ministry also reported that the number of licensed hospitality facilities in the city had surpassed 1,000.
The expansion is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader Vision 2030 programme, which seeks to increase the Kingdom’s capacity to receive religious and international visitors and develop tourism-related infrastructure.
Ahead of the 2024 Hajj, Makkah had 816 licensed hospitality facilities providing more than 227,000 rooms for pilgrims. The number of licensed facilities subsequently rose to 1,030 by the end of 2024, representing an 80 per cent increase from the previous year.
The Saudi Press Agency, citing the Ministry of Tourism, reported in March 2025 that licensed facilities in Makkah had surpassed 1,000, while licensed rooms exceeded 268,000.
The growth is expected to continue as the Kingdom invests heavily in hotels and other accommodation facilities around the holy city.
Data reported in 2025 indicated that about 17,646 additional rooms were in various stages of development in Makkah, although these rooms should not automatically be counted as available for the 2027 Hajj, as completion and licensing timelines vary.
For the 2026 Hajj season, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism conducted more than 11,000 inspection visits to hospitality facilities in Makkah as part of preparations to ensure accommodation facilities complied with required standards.
The ministry has also introduced temporary accommodation licences for buildings in Makkah and Madinah during the Hajj season. Licensed tourist hospitality facilities can also increase their accommodation capacity during Hajj under approved regulations, further expanding the number of rooms that can be made available to pilgrims during the pilgrimage period.
The expansion is being driven by Saudi Arabia’s ambition to accommodate rising numbers of Umrah pilgrims and other visitors throughout the year, while improving the infrastructure supporting Hajj.
Makkah’s hospitality market includes large hotel complexes around the Grand Mosque, including the Abraj Al Bait development, which has several major international hotel brands.
With the continued construction and expansion of accommodation facilities, the holy city is expected to have greater lodging capacity by the time of the 2027 Hajj, although the exact number of rooms that will be licensed and available specifically to pilgrims during that season will depend on facilities completed and approved before the pilgrimage.
For Nigerian pilgrims and Hajj administrators, the expansion could have implications for accommodation planning, hotel contracting and the distribution of pilgrims across Makkah during the 2027 pilgrimage season.
#END
