GASTAT Reveals Total Number of Umrah Performers and Pilgrims in 2022

Pilgrims perform the final tawaf, marking the end of the Hajj. (SPA)
Pilgrims perform the final tawaf, marking the end of the Hajj. (SPA)
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GASTAT Reveals Total Number of Umrah Performers and Pilgrims in 2022

Pilgrims perform the final tawaf, marking the end of the Hajj. (SPA)
Pilgrims perform the final tawaf, marking the end of the Hajj. (SPA)

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) issued today two reports on Umrah and Hajj for the year 2022/1443 Hijri.

Umrah data showed that the total number of Umrah performers in 2022 reached 24,715,307, from which the number of Umrah performers who performed Umrah once was 9,517,829.

According to the Umrah report, the total number of external Umrah performers reached 8,372,429. The number of male Umrah performers was 3,700,785, which accounted for 44.20%, while the number of female Umrah performers reached 4,671,644, accounting for 55.80%.

The result showed that the total number of internal Umrah performers reached 16,342,878, of whom Saudis accounted for 6,642,881 or 40.65%, and non-Saudis accounted for 9,699,997 or 59.35%.

The result also showed that the number of internal male Umrah performers reached 11,033,994, accounting for 67.52%, while the percentage of females reached 32.48%.

According to the same report, the highest number of Umrah performers was in April, in which the number of internal Umrah performers reached 5,479,637.

Makkah Region recorded the highest number of internal Umrah performers, which reached 10,270,637.

Hajj data showed that the total number of internal and external pilgrims reached 926,062 pilgrims in 2022, SPA reported. The percentage of external pilgrims reached 84.4% of the total pilgrims, with 781,409 pilgrims, who came through various ports, while the percentage of internal pilgrims reached 15.6% with 144,653 pilgrims.

According to the Hajj report, the number of internal male pilgrims reached 77,776 pilgrims, while the number of internal female pilgrims reached 66,877. The number of external male pilgrims reached 421,999, while the number of external female pilgrims reached 359,410.

The result showed that pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia via air transport reached 94.7% of the total number of pilgrims, while land transport constituted 4.5%, and sea transport recorded the lowest percentage by 0.8%.

The result also indicated that the number of labor force participating in serving pilgrims exceeded 236,000 male and female employees. The number of labor force in the general services sector was 73,556, in the medical services sector 26,392, and in the transportation services sector 19,421, while the total labor force in the communications sector reached 3,728 workers.

GASTAT issues Hajj and Umrah statistics annually based on administrative records in government and private entities concerned with serving Umrah performers and pilgrims. These records include data for Hajj permits for internal and external pilgrims. The data is provided according to a unified form that includes data on manpower and medical services according to temporal and spatial reference.



UNESCO Honors Al-Bisht Al-Hasawi as Thousands Flock to Al-Ahsa Festival

Visitors can explore interactive displays, participate in live workshops, and witness the meticulous process of tailoring this iconic symbol of prestige - SPA
Visitors can explore interactive displays, participate in live workshops, and witness the meticulous process of tailoring this iconic symbol of prestige - SPA
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UNESCO Honors Al-Bisht Al-Hasawi as Thousands Flock to Al-Ahsa Festival

Visitors can explore interactive displays, participate in live workshops, and witness the meticulous process of tailoring this iconic symbol of prestige - SPA
Visitors can explore interactive displays, participate in live workshops, and witness the meticulous process of tailoring this iconic symbol of prestige - SPA

The third edition of Al-Bisht Al-Hasawi Festival is drawing thousands of regional and international visitors to Ibrahim Palace in historic Al-Hofuf.

Organized by the Heritage Commission, this year’s festival celebrates the inscription of the Bisht on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The event showcases Al-Ahsa’s centuries-old tradition of hand-weaving and gold embroidery, a craft passed down through generations of local families, SPA reported.

Visitors can explore interactive displays, participate in live workshops, and witness the meticulous process of tailoring this iconic symbol of prestige.

With UNESCO's participation and representatives from six countries, the festival has evolved into a global platform for cultural dialogue, cementing the Bisht’s status as a world-class cultural treasure.


Saudi, Syrian Culture Ministers Tour National Museum of Damascus

The ministers observed the museum’s extensive collections spanning prehistoric eras to modern art. SPA
The ministers observed the museum’s extensive collections spanning prehistoric eras to modern art. SPA
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Saudi, Syrian Culture Ministers Tour National Museum of Damascus

The ministers observed the museum’s extensive collections spanning prehistoric eras to modern art. SPA
The ministers observed the museum’s extensive collections spanning prehistoric eras to modern art. SPA

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan and his Syrian counterpart, Mohammed Yassin Saleh, have toured the National Museum of Damascus during the Kingdom’s participation as guest of honor at the 2026 Damascus International Book Fair.

The ministers observed on Thursday the museum’s extensive collections spanning prehistoric eras to modern art.

A particular focus was placed on the Arab-Islamic wing, featuring significant artifacts from the Umayyad period.

The Kingdom's participation as guest of honor at the 2026 Damascus International Book Fair, which runs until February 16, stems from the role culture plays within Saudi Vision 2030.


Saudi Culture Minister Inaugurates Kingdom's Pavilion as Guest of Honor at Damascus Book Fair

Saudi Culture Minister Inaugurates Kingdom's Pavilion as Guest of Honor at Damascus Book Fair
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Saudi Culture Minister Inaugurates Kingdom's Pavilion as Guest of Honor at Damascus Book Fair

Saudi Culture Minister Inaugurates Kingdom's Pavilion as Guest of Honor at Damascus Book Fair

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, who is the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission Board Chairman, has inaugurated the Kingdom’s pavilion as guest of honor at the 2026 Damascus International Book Fair.

The inauguration took place on Thursday in the Syrian capital in the presence of Syrian Minister of Culture Mohammed Yassin Saleh and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The Kingdom's participation as guest of honor at the fair, which runs until February 16, stems from the role culture plays within Saudi Vision 2030.

Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission Chief Executive Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Wasil affirmed that the Kingdom's presence as guest of honor at the fair reflects its leading role in the Arab cultural landscape and embodies its belief in the role of culture as a bridge for communication, a space for dialogue, and a tool for supporting joint cultural initiatives.

He explained that the Kingdom's presence in Damascus affirms the depth of Saudi-Syrian relations, based on partnership and mutual respect, and stems from the Kingdom's commitment to strengthening cultural exchange.

The Kingdom's pavilion showcases the cultural and creative diversity of the Saudi cultural and literary scene through a comprehensive cultural program that includes intellectual seminars, poetry evenings, a manuscripts exhibition, a Saudi fashion corner, a hospitality corner, and a corner displaying archaeological replicas, in addition to Saudi performing arts performances that express the depth of the Kingdom's cultural heritage.

The pavilion offers visitors to the exhibition the opportunity to explore aspects of Saudi culture in its literary, heritage, and human dimensions within a cultural experience presented in a unifying Arab spirit, affirming that culture remains one of the most effective means of fostering understanding and building shared meaning.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met on Thursday with Prince Badr at the Conference Palace in Damascus.

The meeting was attended on the Saudi side by Advisor at the Royal Court Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri, along with other officials.