Riyadh: Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfig Al-Rabiah affirmed that the Kingdom, under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, continues to dedicate all resources to ensure pilgrims perform their rituals with ease and comfort.
According to Saudi Press Agency, during the 34th government press conference held today in Riyadh, Minister Al-Rabiah highlighted the preparations for Hajj 1447 AH. He stated that the Hajj and Umrah sector has witnessed a qualitative leap through the implementation of more than 100 initiatives to improve service quality and enhance the overall pilgrim experience in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
To date, Saudi Arabia has welcomed more than 860,000 pilgrims, with 820,000 arriving by air-including 240,000 through the Makkah Route Initiative-while 35,000 arrived via land borders and 4,000 by sea. To raise the quality of services and foster competition, the ministry has enabled over 30 companies to offer services to pilgrims from abroad, in addition to offering direct booking services to pilgrims from 126 countries through the Nusuk digital platform. This system operates with seamless institutional integration among more than 60 governmental entities, overseen by the Hajj Project Management Office (Hajj PMO) of the Pilgrim Experience Program under the supervision of the Supreme Hajj Committee, said the minister.
He added that innovations such as the "Hajj Without Luggage" initiative have revolutionized logistics this year, allowing pilgrims to ship luggage directly to their residences, which has reduced airport procedures from 120 minutes to just 15 minutes. The Nusuk application continues to solidify its role as a global platform, serving over 51 million users with more than 130 Hajj-related digital services. Furthermore, the ministry has strengthened international coordination by signing Hajj agreements with 78 countries and standardizing procedures with various Hajj affairs offices worldwide.
In terms of infrastructure, the Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites has implemented 25 development projects, marking a 100% increase over last year. These include shading and cooling systems for 272,000 square meters surrounding Mount Arafat and the expansion of pedestrian walkways and rest areas.
He added that Kidana Development Company increased capacity by implementing a 24,000-square-meter housing project across two strategic locations in Mina to enhance infrastructure efficiency and the pilgrim experience as part of early preparations for the 1447 AH Hajj season. The green sites initiative has seen the planting of 60,000 trees.
The General Transport Center further supports this through a 24-hour central control room managing a vast bus fleet and shuttle services, ensuring the synchronized movement of pilgrims to the Al-Mashaaer Al-Mugaddassah Metro Line and the Jamarat.
Oversight and quality control have been intensified with more than 50,000 inspection tours conducted since mid-Shawwal to verify service standards. The General Authority for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque has enhanced its guidance systems with 3D maps and multilingual screens, while the Arafat sermon will be translated into 50 languages to enrich the spiritual experience. At the Prophet's Mosque, the daily capacity of Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah has surged from 15,000 to approximately 57,000 visitors, contributing to an increase in satisfaction levels from 57% in 2022 to 88% in 2025. Minister Al-Rabiah concluded by commending the Ministry of Interior for the success of the "No Hajj Without a Permit" campaign and thanked brotherly nations for their cooperation in curbing unregulated Hajj campaigns to ensure the safety of all pilgrims.
