Saudi Arabia recorded more than 15.2 million Umrah pilgrims during the opening three months of its 2026 Umrah season, marking a remarkable level of participation.
Official figures from the Kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics show that 15,233,767 people performed the pilgrimage during this period.
Domestic visitors accounted for roughly 9.5 million of the total, while nearly 5.77 million pilgrims arrived from overseas.
International pilgrims represented a major part of the Umrah numbers recorded during the first quarter of the season.
Of the 5.77 million overseas visitors, women slightly outnumbered men. Approximately 2.99 million women travelled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, compared with around 2.78 million men.
The figures demonstrate the worldwide reach of the pilgrimage, with people from numerous countries making the journey to the Kingdom.
For pilgrims travelling from outside Saudi Arabia, flying was by far the most common way to reach the Kingdom.
Around 86% of international Umrah visitors arrived by air, making aviation the primary gateway for overseas pilgrims. Meanwhile, approximately 13.6% crossed into Saudi Arabia by land, while only 0.4% travelled by sea.
These figures offer a glimpse into the enormous logistical operation behind the annual pilgrimage.
The 2026 Umrah season officially opened for pilgrims on May 31, when Saudi Arabia began issuing Umrah visas and receiving visitors.
Within just three months, the number of people completing Umrah surpassed 15 million, showing the immense scale of religious travel to the Kingdom.
The strong turnout reflects the deep importance of Umrah for Muslims worldwide while highlighting Saudi Arabia’s extensive preparations to accommodate large numbers of visitors.
Saudi Arabia recorded more than 15.2 million Umrah pilgrims during the opening three months of its 2026 Umrah season, marking a remarkable level of participation.
Saudi Arabia recorded more than 15.2 million Umrah pilgrims during the opening three months of its 2026 Umrah season, marking a remarkable level of participation.
Official figures from the Kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics show that 15,233,767 people performed the pilgrimage during this period.
Domestic visitors accounted for roughly 9.5 million of the total, while nearly 5.77 million pilgrims arrived from overseas.
International pilgrims represented a major part of the Umrah numbers recorded during the first quarter of the season.
Of the 5.77 million overseas visitors, women slightly outnumbered men. Approximately 2.99 million women travelled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, compared with around 2.78 million men.
The figures demonstrate the worldwide reach of the pilgrimage, with people from numerous countries making the journey to the Kingdom.
For pilgrims travelling from outside Saudi Arabia, flying was by far the most common way to reach the Kingdom.
Around 86% of international Umrah visitors arrived by air, making aviation the primary gateway for overseas pilgrims. Meanwhile, approximately 13.6% crossed into Saudi Arabia by land, while only 0.4% travelled by sea.
These figures offer a glimpse into the enormous logistical operation behind the annual pilgrimage.
The 2026 Umrah season officially opened for pilgrims on May 31, when Saudi Arabia began issuing Umrah visas and receiving visitors.
Within just three months, the number of people completing Umrah surpassed 15 million, showing the immense scale of religious travel to the Kingdom.
The strong turnout reflects the deep importance of Umrah for Muslims worldwide while highlighting Saudi Arabia’s extensive preparations to accommodate large numbers of visitors.
