Mecca Awaits Record Numbers as Hajj Pilgrims Arrive

Saudi officials report that over 1.5 million foreign pilgrims have arrived by Tuesday, with many more expected, including hundreds of thousands of Saudis and residents of Saudi Arabia.

Officials anticipate this year’s Hajj attendance to surpass the 2023 figure of 1.8 million, approaching the pre-pandemic level of 2.4 million seen in 2019. Saudi Arabia regulates the flow of pilgrims through national quotas, allowing one pilgrim per thousand Muslim citizens.

Among the pilgrims are 4,200 Palestinians from the West Bank, though those from Gaza were unable to attend due to the ongoing conflict. Ibrahim al-Hadhari, an Algerian pilgrim, expressed his hopes for peace and liberation for Palestine.

On Tuesday, pilgrims filled the Grand Mosque, performing the ritual Tawaf around the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, clad in ihrams despite temperatures soaring to 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit).

Rabeia al-Raghi from Morocco shared her joy at seeing the Kaaba, while Iraqi pilgrim Mohammad Abdel-Baset celebrated the gathering of Muslims from around the world.

As night fell, the area around the Kaaba was densely packed with pilgrims, navigating the space with the help of security barricades. This scene will continue into the first day of Hajj, when pilgrims will journey to the Mountain of Arafat for a daylong vigil, then to Muzdalifah to collect pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina.

The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is a pivotal religious duty for Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake it. Pilgrims view it as a chance to deepen their faith, cleanse past sins, and start anew.