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Image credit – iStock-490586878 The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, in cooperation with the General Authority for the Care of the Two Holy Mosques, announced more than 11.7 million Umrah pilgrims during the Hijri month of Rabi’ al-Thani, one of the highest monthly totals recorded. More than 1.5 million of these pilgrims came from abroad, underscoring the global appeal of the Hajj, officials said. The Two Holy Mosques also recorded tens of millions of visits during the month, indicating significant demand for infrastructure and services.
Record numbers in the Two Holy Mosques
The huge number of 11,748,153 pilgrims is just one part of a larger story of mass visits. Official statistics issued by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the General Authority for the Care of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque paint a picture of a tremendous spiritual movement:
- International Arrivals: More than 1.5 million pilgrims from all over the world have traveled to Mecca.
- Total visitors to the Holy Sites: At both the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, the total number of visitors and worshipers for this month exceeded 54.5 million.
- Mecca worshipers: The Grand Mosque alone received more than 17.7 million worshipers.
- Visitors to Medina: The Prophet’s Mosque in Medina witnessed more than 21.3 million visitors, including more than 2 million who were able to pray in Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifa.
This dramatic influx demonstrates successful efforts to accommodate and welcome the world’s growing Muslim population.
Complete Umrah in 116 minutes
What makes this record truly remarkable is not only the sheer number of people, but the speed and ease with which they completed the Hajj. Although there are more than 11.7 million people performing this ritual, the authorities have managed to maintain exceptional efficiency. The average time it took a pilgrim to perform the entire Umrah rituals was only 116 minutes, or less than two hours.
This impressive feat has been achieved through strict organization and technology, ensuring that every stage of the Hajj is streamlined:
| Ritual stage | Average time taken | Key details |
| Circumambulation (tawaf) | 42 minutes | This resulted in 92% of pilgrims performing in the main Mataf area. |
| Sa’i (Safa and Marwa) | 46 minutes | 83% of pilgrims used the ground floor for this ritual. |
| The courtyard of the Mataf movement | 15 minutes | Efficient navigation to the starting point. |
| A stop for the courier movement | 13 minutes | Smooth transition between main rituals. |
Why did the numbers jump?
Officials attribute this increase to recent reforms in Saudi Arabia and operational upgrades:
- Digital Platforms and Simplified Booking: The Nusuk Umrah platform and other digital tools have simplified planning, bookings and permit management for pilgrims.
- Policy Liberalization: Recent policy moves including allowing more visa categories to perform Umrah, opening access to more travelers around the world.
- Improving logistics and capacity: Investment in crowd management, transport lines and mosque services under Vision 2030 has helped handle larger flows more smoothly.
Together, these measures transform what was once a complex process into a much more accessible pilgrimage for many first-time and repeat visitors.
conclusion
The unprecedented attendance of more than 11.7 million pilgrims in the month of Rabi’ al-Thani represents an amazing success for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, validating the core objectives of the Vision 2030 program to enhance the Hajj ecosystem. This record increase, which included more than 1.5 million international arrivals, was handled with remarkable efficiency, as evidenced by the average Umrah ritual being completed in just 116 minutes.
This success is directly attributable to the Kingdom’s huge investment in digital tools and logistics, including advanced sensor technologies and smart crowd management systems in the Two Holy Mosques, which prioritize pilgrims’ safety and spiritual reassurance. With simplified visa rules now allowing Umrah under most visa types for the 2026 season, Saudi Arabia is aggressively removing barriers and paving the way for record-level sustainable spiritual tourism on its way to accommodating 30 million pilgrims annually.
