Historic Hajj Returns: Over 1.5 Million Pilgrims Flock to Mecca

The annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca has seen a monumental return, with over 1.5 million foreign pilgrims arriving by Tuesday. Saudi officials expect numbers to exceed those of 2023, approaching pre-pandemic levels. Pilgrims undertake rituals including Tawaf and the journey to the Mountain of Arafat.

Muslim pilgrims have been streaming into Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca ahead of the start of the Hajj later this week, as the annual pilgrimage returns to its monumental scale.

Saudi officials report that more than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims have arrived in the country by Tuesday, the vast majority by air, from across the world. The number is expected to grow, with hundreds of thousands of Saudis and residents also joining the pilgrimage when it officially begins on Friday.

This year’s numbers are expected to surpass those of 2023, when over 1.8 million people performed Hajj, nearing pre-pandemic figures. In 2019, more than 2.4 million Muslims made the pilgrimage.

The pilgrims include 4,200 Palestinians from the West Bank who arrived in Mecca earlier this month, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs. Due to the ongoing conflict with Israel, Palestinians from Gaza were unable to participate this year.

On Tuesday, the Grand Mosque in Mecca was crowded with pilgrims performing Tawaf, a ritual involving walking seven times around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site. In the intense heat, many carried umbrellas for protection from temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit).

“I was relieved when I arrived at the Al-Masjid Al-Haram and saw the Kaaba,” said Rabeia al-Raghi from Morocco, attending Hajj with her family. By night, the marble court around the Kaaba was packed, with people often jostling as security forces managed the flow.

Pilgrims perform Tawaf upon arrival, with crowds expected to continue circling the Kaaba into the Hajj's first day. On Friday, they will move to the Mountain of Arafat for a daylong vigil, then collect pebbles at Muzdalifah for the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina.

Hajj is one of Islam's Five Pillars and one of the world's largest religious gatherings. All Muslims are required to undertake it at least once in their lives if they are physically and financially able. It is seen as a chance to strengthen faith, erase past sins, and start anew.