The largest Hajj pilgrimage in recent years commenced in Saudi Arabia as hundreds of thousands of Muslims from across the world reverently circled the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Sunday. Attendance records are expected to be broken, with over two million faithful pilgrims from 160 countries anticipated to participate in the annual rites. By late Friday, 1.6 million foreign pilgrims had already arrived, and an anonymous official from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah expressed confidence that this year’s pilgrimage would witness the largest number of participants in history, exceeding 2.5 million.
The Hajj, one of Islam’s five pillars, requires all financially capable Muslims to undertake it at least once in their lifetime. Over four days, a series of rituals are performed in Makkah and its surrounding areas in western Saudi Arabia. The Hajj began with the “tawaf,” the circumambulation of the Kaaba, which holds deep significance for Muslims worldwide. Pilgrims expressed their overwhelming joy and gratitude, with one Egyptian participant remarking that he had saved for 20 years to be able to fulfill this lifelong dream.
Following the initial rituals, pilgrims began their journey to Mina, located approximately five kilometers from the Grand Mosque, in preparation for the climax of the Hajj at Mount Arafat. Mina, known as the world’s largest tent city, has made arrangements to accommodate the influx of pilgrims, ensuring food supplies and deploying security forces to maintain a safe environment. The vibrant atmosphere in the tented city will intensify as more pilgrims arrive on foot or via air-conditioned buses in the coming days.
