Hajj 2023: More than 150,000 pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia

More than 150,000 pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia via the ‘Makkah Route’ initiative ahead of the upcoming Hajj season, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Monday.

The pilgrims were greeted with flowers, dates, Zamzam water, and more.

Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, is expected to begin on June 26 – pending an official announcement by authorities. This year’s pilgrimage will see about 2.6 million Muslims come together to perform the Islamic ritual for the first time since



COVID-19.

The ‘Makkah Route’ initiative was implemented to provide services to pilgrims coming from Morocco, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Earlier this June, Saudi Arabia unveiled the largest ever Hajj operation plan ahead of the pilgrimage season as restrictions on the number of pilgrims were lifted.

A record-breaking 14,000 staff members and more than 8,000 volunteers will be deployed on the ground to help the millions of Muslims who are expected to partake in Hajj.