ISTANBUL

Saudi Arabia said that more than 1.6 million Muslim pilgrims have arrived in the kingdom so far for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.

In a statement, the General Directorate of Passports said that 1,626,500 pilgrims have arrived in the country through air, land, and sea ports.

It added that the guests included 1,559,053 foreign pilgrims.

Delegations of pilgrims are still arriving from all over the world. The oil-rich kingdom expects to receive more than two million Muslim pilgrims for Hajj this year.

Saudi Arabia held downsized Hajj in the last three years due to restrictions imposed to stem the outbreak of COVID-19.

In 2022, over 899,999 Muslim pilgrims visited Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, according to official figures.

In 2021, the kingdom welcomed up to 60,000 pilgrims from inside Saudi Arabia amid COVID-19 restrictions, while only 10,000 performed the ritual in 2020.

The Hajj, the pilgrimage to Islam's holiest site Kaaba in Mecca, is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims are required to perform it at least once in their life if they have the means to do so.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi