Pakistanis top pilgrims list in Saudi Arabia

KARACHI: The number of Umrah visas issued this year has reached 2,785,790, of which 2,346,429 pilgrims have arrived in the Kingdom, according to data Saudi Arabia’s Hajj and Umrah Ministry issued from Jeddah.

There are 345,114 pilgrims still in the Kingdom, with 233,910 in Makkah and 111,204 in Madinah. Most pilgrims (2,122,424) came to the Kingdom by air, while 213,121 entered by land and 10,884 arrived by sea.

The largest number of pilgrims are from Pakistan (637,745) followed by Indonesia (420,410), India (292,607), Malaysia (135,895), Yemen (128,618), Egypt (73,179), Turkey (65,970), the UAE (59,855) and Bangladesh (57,701).

The Vision 2030 reform plan aims to attract more than 30 million Umrah pilgrims, and provide them with excellent services and an outstanding experience. Last year, the ministry launched a weekly indicator whereby authorities can track the number of pilgrims coming into the Kingdom, and in turn enrich their experiences by providing high-quality services.