Annual Hajj pilgrimage draws over 1.8 million worshippers

Pilgrims travelled from over 150 countries

The 2023 annual Hajj pilgrimage has drawn over 1.8 million worshipers from more than 150 countries, according to Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq al-Rabiah.

According to the General Authority for Statistics, 346,214 pilgrims came from Arab countries since Hajj began on Monday (26 June), constituting approximately 21% of the total number of pilgrims.

 The largest portion of attendees came from Asia, accounting for over one million of the Kingdom’s pilgrims and 63.5% of the overall attendance.

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The annual religious event also drew 222,863 participants from African nations, making up 13.4% of the total number of pilgrims. The remaining 2.1%, amounting to 36,521 worshippers, travelled from Europe, America, and Australia.

It is the biggest such event to take place since before the pandemic and has seen a huge surge in visitors who have been waiting for a return to the spiritual excursion.