Ministry: Over 3.4 million Umrah visas issued so far

In this Sept. 7, 2016, file photo, Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (AP)
  • Developing Hajj and Umrah organizations and services in the Kingdom is among the top priorities of the Saudi government

JEDDAH: The number of Umrah visas issued this year has reached 3,486,363, of which 3,020,686 pilgrims have arrived in the Kingdom, according to data provided by the Hajj and Umrah Ministry.
There are 467,017 pilgrims still in the Kingdom, with 326,440 in Makkah and 140,577 in Madinah.
Most pilgrims — 2,680,863 — came to the Kingdom by air, while 317,948 entered by land and 21,875 arrived by sea.
The largest number of pilgrims are from Pakistan (776,326) followed by Indonesia (508,180), India (343,396), Yemen (170,016), Malaysia (163,202), Egypt (147,545), Turkey (116,081), Algeria (106,358) and Bangladesh (75,153).
The weekly data also included the number of Saudi staff within Umrah companies and institutions. They are 10,012 Saudis including 8,285 males and 1,727 females.
Developing Hajj and Umrah organizations and services in the Kingdom is among the top priorities of the Saudi government.
The Vision 2030 reform plan aims to attract more than 30 million Umrah pilgrims, and provide them with excellent services and an outstanding experience.