Umrah visa arrivals rise 22.5% as new 1448 season gathers pace
Saudi Arabia recorded a 22.5% rise in Umrah visa arrivals at the start of the 1448 AH season, with 931,500 pilgrims entering the Kingdom, led by Pakistan, Indonesia and Iraq.
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آخر تحديث: 31 Oct 2026, 6:13 AM (بتوقيت السعودية)
Saudi Arabia recorded a 22.5% rise in Umrah visa arrivals at the start of the 1448 AH season, with 931,500 pilgrims entering the Kingdom, led by Pakistan, Indonesia and Iraq.
Saudi Arabia's digital overhaul of the Grand Mosque has cut pilgrim transport waits from two hours to nine minutes and now manages 38 million iftar meals digitally, part of a push to make the site among the world's smartest by 2030.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah now requires all Hajj 2027 pilgrims to upload medical certificates to Nusuk before visa approval, with the quadruple meningitis vaccine mandatory and polio, yellow fever and flu jabs required or advised.
The Haramain High-Speed Railway is expanding its fleet with 20 new Talgo trains due by 2028-2031, adding capacity for the millions of pilgrims travelling between Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia's Third Expansion of the Grand Mosque is advancing as part of a wider transformation of Makkah and Madinah aimed at hosting tens of millions of pilgrims annually under Vision 2030.
Saudi Arabia has approved stricter accommodation regulations for Hajj 2027, classifying facilities as economy or first-class and adding inspections before and during the season.
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