Saudi Arabia Records 1.7 Million Pilgrims For 2026 Hajj

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics has announced that a total of 1.70 million Muslims participated in the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage, reflecting a moderate increase compared to the figures recorded in 2025.

The agency, responsible for compiling the Kingdom’s official Hajj census, released the statistics at the conclusion of the annual pilgrimage in Makkah and other holy sites.

 According to the official figures, 1.54 million pilgrims travelled from outside Saudi Arabia, while 160,646 pilgrims were Saudi citizens and residents within the Kingdom.

A breakdown of the international arrivals showed that air travel remained the dominant mode of transportation for pilgrims.

The statistics revealed that approximately 1.48 million pilgrims entered Saudi Arabia through airports, while 54,429 arrived through land border crossings and 6,497 travelled by sea. The authority stated that the figures represent the officially verified total for the 2026 Hajj exercise.

 The latest numbers indicate a rebound in pilgrim turnout compared to the 2025 Hajj season, when total participation stood at 1.67 million pilgrims. The 2026 turnout represents an increase of about 34,000 pilgrims year-on-year.

 However, despite the increase, the figure remains lower than the 1.83 million pilgrims recorded during the 2024 Hajj season. 

The annual Hajj pilgrimage remains one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, attracting Muslims from virtually every continent to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.

 Pilgrims participate in a series of prescribed spiritual rites including Tawaf around the Kaaba, prayers at Arafat, symbolic stoning rituals in Mina and other religious obligations central to Islamic faith.

Saudi authorities deployed extensive security, medical and logistics operations throughout the pilgrimage period to manage crowd movement and ensure the safety of worshippers.

 Officials also expanded digital services and transport coordination systems to improve the experience for pilgrims arriving from different parts of the world. 

The successful completion of the 2026 Hajj comes amid continued efforts by Saudi Arabia to increase capacity, modernise pilgrimage infrastructure and improve crowd management systems as part of its broader Vision 2030 reforms.