In 2024 more than 18.5 million people from other countries went to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. The Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah shared this at a conference in Jeddah. This big number shows how important these religious trips are to Muslims everywhere. The Minister said this was all thanks to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and their support.
The conference also showed how much work goes into organizing things for all the pilgrims. The Hajj is a yearly trip to Mecca happening at a set time but Umrah can be done any time. Both involve important religious acts for Muslims. Saudi Arabia has to do a lot of planning to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Al-Rabiah made it clear that Saudi Arabia is still very important as the place for these holy sites. He thanked the King and Crown Prince for their leadership suggesting the large number of pilgrims is due to their help. The Hajj and Umrah are major religious events for Muslims and need everyone to work together to make them happen.