Deputy Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Number of Hajj Pilgrims Will Match Figures Reached 4 Years Ago

Worshippers pray around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah during the second Friday prayers in the holy month of Ramadan on March 31, 2023. (AFP)
Worshippers pray around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah during the second Friday prayers in the holy month of Ramadan on March 31, 2023. (AFP)
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Deputy Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Number of Hajj Pilgrims Will Match Figures Reached 4 Years Ago

Worshippers pray around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah during the second Friday prayers in the holy month of Ramadan on March 31, 2023. (AFP)
Worshippers pray around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah during the second Friday prayers in the holy month of Ramadan on March 31, 2023. (AFP)

Saudi Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Abdulfattah al-Mashat predicted that this year’s Hajj will attract the same number of pilgrims as four years ago.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said over 2.4 million pilgrims performed the Hajj four years ago.

Breaking down the figure, he revealed that 634,000 of them were pilgrims from inside Saudi Arabia, including 211,000 Saudis and 423,000 residents.

Asian pilgrims made up the majority with 1.1 worshippers. From Europe, North and South America and Australia, the figure stood at 92,000 pilgrims, while over 414,000 came from Arab countries.

Given that there is a limit to how many people can perform the holy journey, the Hajj and Umrah Ministry has given would-be pilgrims months to apply, Mashat.

Saudi authorities have not yet closed the window for Hajj applications, he added.

He clarified that Saturday marked the end for submissions for first-time pilgrims, while another window has been opened for pilgrims who had previously performed the Hajj five years ago.

The opportunity was not available before for people who had performed the Hajj over six years ago, he added. Most of them are now allowed to apply.

The registration period was good, he went on to say.

Applicants can submit their information through the Nusuk Hajj government platform.

The platform reflects Saudi efforts to facilitate procedures for the arrival of pilgrims in 2023 and improve the quality of services provided to them to enrich their religious and cultural journey in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

The Hajj and Umrah Ministry has lowered the cost of full insurance to the Umrah pilgrims from 235 to 87 riyals this year.

Pilgrims from Europe, the United States, Australia and over 58 countries can register and make reservations and payments online. A number of services are available to them on the platform, from accommodation, flights, tour guides and transportation.



GCC Reaffirms Support for Kuwait on Khor Abdullah Dispute

A glimpse of the GCC Ministerial Council's extraordinary meeting via video conference on Tuesday (GCC)
A glimpse of the GCC Ministerial Council's extraordinary meeting via video conference on Tuesday (GCC)
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GCC Reaffirms Support for Kuwait on Khor Abdullah Dispute

A glimpse of the GCC Ministerial Council's extraordinary meeting via video conference on Tuesday (GCC)
A glimpse of the GCC Ministerial Council's extraordinary meeting via video conference on Tuesday (GCC)

Gulf Arab states on Tuesday voiced their full support for Kuwait’s position in a maritime border dispute with Iraq, stressing the need for positive progress in demarcation talks and for Baghdad to respect Kuwaiti sovereignty.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi said the bloc’s 47th extraordinary ministerial meeting was held in Riyadh under the chairmanship of Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya, whose country holds the rotating presidency.

The ministers discussed developments concerning the demarcation of the maritime boundary between Kuwait and Iraq beyond border marker 162.

Albudaiwi said Kuwait's foreign minister briefed his counterparts on the latest developments with Iraq and the outcomes of recent discussions on the issue.

In a joint statement, GCC foreign ministers expressed “the full and unwavering support of member states for Kuwait’s position on the maritime boundary demarcation with Iraq.”

They also called for “positive progress in the ongoing talks and a firm commitment to all protocols agreed by the joint technical and legal committee” on the demarcation process beyond marker 162.

Albudaiwi added that the GCC ministers reaffirmed their categorical rejection of any infringement on Kuwait’s sovereignty, including over its territory, islands, highlands, and maritime zones.

GCC ministers also reiterated their firm stance on the ownership of the Durra gas field, reaffirming commitment to previous decisions made during the GCC’s 45th summit in December 2024.

The council emphasized that the entire Durra field lies within Kuwait’s maritime territory, underscoring that the natural resources in the submerged area adjacent to the divided zone shared between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia – including the Durra field – are jointly owned by the two countries.

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia hold exclusive rights to exploit these resources, in accordance with international law and existing agreements between the two nations.

The GCC’s statement further stressed its resolute rejection of any claims by other parties to rights over the Durra field or the submerged area bordering the Kuwait-Saudi divided zone.