Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah announced that the number of Guests of God arriving in the Kingdom had exceeded 860,000 pilgrims as of the 34th government press conference held in Riyadh yesterday, Wednesday 13 May 2026, including more than 820,000 pilgrims through air ports and around 240,000 through the Makkah Route initiative, while around 35,000 pilgrims arrived through land ports and more than 4,000 by sea.
Al-Rabiah stressed that the Kingdom prepared early for this year's Hajj season through an integrated system aimed at easing the journey of the Guests of God and raising the quality of services provided to them, within the targets of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Pilgrim Experience Program, according to a post on the Saudi Press Agency.
100 Initiatives to Ease the Hajj Journey
He explained that the Hajj, Umrah and Ziyarah system has seen a qualitative leap through the completion of more than 100 initiatives that helped ease the journey, improve service quality and raise the experience of pilgrims and Umrah performers. The system serving the Guests of God works through institutional integration between more than 60 government and operational entities, through more than 600 action plans, within a unified framework overseen by the Hajj Project Management Office (Hajj PMO) in the Pilgrim Experience Program.
He noted that preparations for the season began on 12 Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH with the delivery of the preliminary arrangements document to Hajj affairs offices, which stipulated that all visas be issued by 1 Shawwal, helping to raise the quality of service delivery and ease pilgrims' journey.
Services From 30 Companies for Pilgrims
He stressed that the ministry gave more than 30 companies the opportunity to provide their services to pilgrims from abroad, as well as enabling direct booking without intermediaries for pilgrims from more than 126 countries through the "Nusuk" digital platform, providing diverse options that meet the needs of the Guests of God.
Nusuk Cards
As part of the early preparations, Al-Rabiah explained that "Nusuk" cards have been delivered to all arriving pilgrims, and the "Hajj Without Luggage" initiative has been applied to all pilgrims from abroad this year, a service that ships pilgrims' luggage from their home countries to their accommodation and returns it after the journey, cutting the time needed to complete procedures at airports from 120 minutes to 15 minutes.
The Nusuk App
He added that the "Nusuk" app continues to consolidate its role as a global digital platform serving more than 51 million users worldwide, while the number of services it offers during this year's Hajj season has exceeded 130 digital services, making the app a companion for pilgrims at every stage of the journey, from planning to completing the rituals.
International Coordination
On international coordination, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah signed agreements on arranging pilgrims' affairs with 78 countries around 6 months before the season, as well as holding regular meetings with Hajj affairs offices to unify procedures and align plans, and carrying out international visits that supported coordination with the relevant authorities.
Infrastructure
On infrastructure, Al-Rabiah explained that the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites implemented more than 25 development projects, a 100% increase compared with last year, including shading and cooling the area around Mount Arafat (Jabal al-Rahmah) over an area of more than 272,000 square meters.
Developing Pedestrian Paths
The projects also included developing pedestrian paths over an area of more than 103,000 square meters and creating additional rest areas on pedestrian paths at the holy sites covering 66,000 square meters, an increase of 220% compared with last year.
Mina
He noted that capacity in Mina was increased by building the Kidana Al-Khaif camps over an area of 24,000 square meters near the Jamarat facility, as well as planting more than 60,000 trees under the "Green Holy Sites" initiative and operating a cooling system with more than 6,000 misting poles to improve the environment and create a more comfortable atmosphere for the Guests of God.
Pilgrim Group Movement Plans
Al-Rabiah stressed that all operational plans related to the group movement of the Guests of God have been completed in coordination with the relevant authorities, through precise scheduling of the stoning of the Jamarat and travel to the Holy Sites Train, and the organization of flows in space and time to enhance safety and smooth movement.
Oversight
On oversight and compliance, the Minister of Hajj and Umrah revealed that more than 50,000 inspection tours have been carried out since mid-Shawwal on the sites the Guests of God pass through, to verify their readiness and the level of services provided there.
Services at the Two Holy Mosques
He also noted the increased readiness of services at the Two Holy Mosques, including electricity, air conditioning, lighting, Zamzam water services and carts, as well as strengthening the guidance system through 3D maps, multilingual screens and field teams equipped with instant translation tools, in addition to translating the Arafah sermon into 50 languages.
Capacity of Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah
At the Prophet's Mosque, Al-Rabiah explained that the capacity of Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah has risen from 15,000 visitors a day three years ago to around 57,000 visitors a day through early electronic booking, helping to raise satisfaction from 57% in 2022 to 88% in 2025.
The "No Hajj Without a Permit" Campaign
He stressed the efforts of the Ministry of Interior in leading the "No Hajj Without a Permit" campaign, noting that the campaign has helped raise compliance with regulations, strengthen pilgrims' safety and limit violations, helping the Guests of God perform their rituals in a safe and organized environment.
To view the post on the Saudi Press Agency website, click here.
