2.5 Million Muslims Will Perform Hajj 2023

 On Friday, numerous Muslim pilgrims arrived in the sacred city of Mecca in preparation for the commencement of Haj next week. This significant annual pilgrimage is resuming its grandeur after three years of stringent limitations imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Saudi officials, nearly 2.5 million foreign pilgrims have already arrived in the country, with the majority arriving by air. There is an anticipation of additional arrivals, and when the pilgrimage formally commences on Monday, hundreds of thousands of Saudis and individuals residing in Saudi Arabia will also participate in the pilgrimage.

Saudi authorities have conveyed their anticipation that the number of pilgrims participating in the pilgrimage will return to pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, the pilgrimage drew in more than 2.4 million Muslims.

On Friday, a large number of pilgrims congregated at the Grand Mosque in Mecca for the weekly communal prayers. Subsequently, many of them participated in a ritual circuit, where they walked around the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure within the Grand Mosque that holds great religious significance in Islam. On Thursday night, the spacious marble courtyard surrounding the Kaaba was filled with devout individuals, walking closely together. This site presents a notable contrast to the circumstances witnessed two years ago during the height of the pandemic, when only a few pilgrims were present, maintaining considerable distances from one another in the nearly empty courtyard as they performed the circuit.

Upon arriving in Mecca, pilgrims engage in the circumambulation ritual, known as "Tawaf" in Arabic. The significant crowds encircling the Kaaba will continue throughout the first day of Hajj.

In the intense heat of Friday, with temperatures soaring to 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit), pilgrims protected themselves from the sun by carrying umbrellas while trekking several kilometers (miles) from bus stations to reach the central area of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. During their journey, they encountered security barricades strategically positioned to regulate the immense crowds, leading to occasional jostling. Hailing from diverse regions across the globe, many pilgrims also congregated at nearby shops and malls to acquire souvenirs.

The Haj holds immense importance as one of the five pillars of Islam, and it is obligatory for physically and financially capable Muslims to undertake it at least once in their lifetime. It stands as one of the largest religious gatherings worldwide.

This year's Haj pilgrimage is distinct from previous years due to the absence of COVID-19 restrictions. In 2020, fewer than 10,000 pilgrims, all residing in Saudi Arabia, were able to perform the Hajj. In 2021, approximately 60,000 Saudi residents were granted permission to participate, while foreign pilgrims were not allowed. However, last year, Saudi Arabia did permit a limited number of foreign pilgrims, resulting in around 900,000 individuals completing the pilgrimage.

According to the Saudi media ministry's announcement on Thursday, more than 1.49 million foreign pilgrims had arrived through international ports by Wednesday, with approximately 1.43 million of them opting for air travel.