Over 1.5 million Hajj pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the kingdom for the upcoming hajj, according to a Saudi official, exceeding the number of international visitors last year despite the war in the Middle East.
The conflict triggered by the United States and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February saw Tehran order waves of strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf, prompting widespread air traffic disruptions and causing travel costs to surge. Major Gulf airlines in the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain have worked to quickly restore much of their operational capacity after weeks of airspace closures and flight cancellations.
Despite the complications, pilgrims have continued to flock to Saudi Arabia to participate in this year’s haj. “The total number of pilgrims arriving from abroad has reached 1,518,153,” Saleh Al-Murabba, the commander of Saudi Arabia’s Haj Passport Forces, told a press conference late Friday.
World middle east and Africa Hajj pilgrim numbers surpass 2025 arrivals despite Middle East war The numbers of pilgrims are expected to rise further over the next two days as they continue to arrive from abroad ahead of the formal rituals that mark the beginning of the haj on Monday.
AFP Mecca, Saudi Arabia Sat, May 23, 2026 Muslim worshippers gather to pray around the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque complex in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia on May 22, 2026 ahead of the annual haj.
(AFP/Zain Jaafar) O ver 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the kingdom for the upcoming haj, according to a Saudi official, exceeding the number of international visitors last year despite the war in the Middle East. The conflict triggered by the United States and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February saw Tehran order waves of strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf, prompting widespread air traffic disruptions and causing travel costs to surge. Major Gulf airlines in the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain have worked to quickly restore much of their operational capacity after weeks of airspace closures and flight cancellations. Despite the complications, pilgrims have continued to flock to Saudi Arabia to participate in this year’s haj. “The total number of pilgrims arriving from abroad has reached 1,518,153,” Saleh Al-Murabba, the commander of Saudi Arabia’s Haj Passport Forces, told a press conference late Friday. These figures are expected to rise further over the next two days as pilgrims continue to arrive from abroad ahead of the formal rituals that mark the beginning of the haj on Monday. Last year, the total number of pilgrims at the haj reached 1,673,320, including 1,506,576 from outside Saudi Arabia. The haj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means.
