Khaberni - The number of Umrah visas issued for foreigners has surpassed four million since the announcement of the new season that launched at the beginning of last June.
Thus, the current Umrah season achieves a record number in terms of the influx of foreign pilgrims, within a time span of just five months from the start of the season, compared to previous seasons.
Sources for the website «Alarabiya.net» clarified today (Wednesday) that the nationalities obtaining the most Umrah visas are citizens of Pakistan, Indonesia, India, in addition to Iraq, and finally Egypt.
In this context, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has facilitated the issuance of Umrah permits for pilgrims from outside the Kingdom through the «Nusuk» app, which serves as the unified digital platform for providing government services to the guests of the merciful.
The application allows users to easily book and issue permits, alongside offering a variety of digital service packages that enhance the pilgrim's experience.
The ministry indicated that the technical and operational preparations for the new season started early, in partnership with relevant entities, to ensure a smooth procedure and sustained improvement.
It also announced that efforts continue to expand the range of digital and educational services in multiple languages, and to achieve the highest standards of safety and comfort for the pilgrims.
In 2024, the total number of pilgrims exceeded 35 million.
According to gender, males constituted 57.8% of the total pilgrims, while females accounted for 42.2%. By nationality, Saudi nationals made up 13.3%, while non-Saudis reached 86.7%.
Thus, the number of pilgrims by the end of 2024 increased by 34% compared to the number of pilgrims in 2023, which was then 26.86 million.
