The rites of Hajj for this year officially began today, Monday, with the arrival of more than 1.5 million pilgrims from outside the kingdom — a number that exceeds many expectations amid the tension that the region witnessed during the past months.
Record numbers despite conditions
According to an official statement by Saleh Al-Muqayyad, head of the Hajj passport forces, the number of pilgrims arriving from abroad reached 1,518,153 pilgrims by last Friday. It is expected that the number will rise further over the past two days with the arrival of the last air flights before the rites commence.
The current number is close to last year’s figures, which were 1.5 million pilgrims from abroad — indicating that the pilgrims were not greatly affected by regional disturbances, despite travel warnings from some Western countries.
The US Embassy advised against coming
A few weeks ago, the US embassy in Riyadh issued a statement advising American citizens to reconsider performing Hajj this year due to “the security situation”. Despite this, thousands of Muslims from America and Europe decided to go — faith was stronger than fear.
Fazl, a 49-year-old American citizen, says: “If the war were still ongoing, I would not have retreated. We are undoubtedly in a safe place in the world.” This feeling was shared by many of the pilgrims I met, according to news agencies.
Caution is still required
Despite the ceasefire between the United States and Iran that occurred in April, experts warn of the possibility of renewed tension. Omar Karim, a professor at the University of Birmingham, says that “if the conflict erupts again, pilgrims may be disrupted and face difficulties traveling and returning”.
But the pilgrims who have arrived have nothing but trust in God and the Saudi efforts to secure the holy sites and manage the crowds — a
