More than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims are in Saudi Arabia for Hajj

Published on 06/06/2025 - 1:18 GMT+2

More than 1.5 cardinal overseas pilgrims are successful Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj, according to a Saudi authorities spokesperson.

Hajj is 1 of nan Five Pillars of Islam, a belief responsibility involving rituals and acts of believe that each Muslim must fulfil astatine slightest erstwhile successful their lifetime, if they person nan money and are physically capable to do it.

Hajj Ministry spokesperson Ghassan Al-Nuwaimi provided an approximate number for foreigners astatine this year’s pilgrimage. He did not opportunity really galore home pilgrims were taking part. Last year, location were 1,611,310 pilgrims from extracurricular nan country.

It’s almost 160,000 less pilgrims than past twelvemonth and a acold outcry from nan pre-pandemic boom, erstwhile attendance would regularly push past 2 million. There was a record-breaking Hajj successful 2012, erstwhile much than 3.16 cardinal Muslims took part.

On Wednesday, pilgrims streamed into Arafat, immoderate making nan travel connected foot, carrying their luggage done temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

People paused to beryllium connected nan crushed to remainder aliases eat earlier heading to their camps.

Mount Arafat, a rocky elevation southeast of Mecca, holds immense value successful Islam. Arafat is mentioned successful nan Quran and it is wherever nan Prophet Muhammad – Peace beryllium upon him – is said to person fixed his past sermon connected his last Hajj.

According to accepted sayings of nan prophet, nan Day of Arafat is nan astir ineffable time of nan year, erstwhile God draws adjacent to nan religious and forgives their sins.

Pilgrims stay successful Arafat, successful dream and reflection, from aft midnight until aft sunset. After sun down connected Thursday, pilgrims headed to nan godforsaken plain of Muzdalifah to cod pebbles, which they will usage successful a ritual.

Saudi Arabia has spent billions of dollars connected crowd power and information measures, but nan wide of participants makes ensuring their information difficult. One of nan top challenges astatine nan Hajj successful caller years has been nan heat.

Earlier successful nan week, Health Minister Fahad bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel revealed that 10,000 trees person been planted to supply much shadiness arsenic a governmental inaugural to protect group from power related aesculapian emergencies.

He besides added that furniture capacities astatine hospitals were greatly increased, and nan number of paramedics and aesculapian professionals has tripled.