A total of 147,094 pilgrims of various nationalities had reached Medina as of Saturday, arriving through air and land ports to perform this year's Hajj.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah reported that 136,007 pilgrims have arrived at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah since the first Hajj flights were received, while 11,087 pilgrims arrived by land.
In a statistical report published by the ministry, it was stated that 26,304 pilgrims arrived from Indonesia, 21,790 pilgrims from India, 9,383 pilgrims from Pakistan, 8,680 from Bangladesh, and 6,326 from Iran.
A total of 49,388 pilgrims have already left Madinah en route to the holy sites in Makkah, and the total number of pilgrims remaining in Madinah is 97,690.
The ministry stated that Madinah authorities are working around the clock to keep up with pilgrims arriving through air and land ports, in order to ensure the best experience for visitors performing Hajj rituals this year.
Pilgrims departing from Malaysia praised the «Makkah Route» initiative, a program offered in certain Muslim countries that allowed pilgrims to complete the entire immigration process before arriving in the Kingdom.
Pilgrims benefiting from the initiative in Kuala Lumpur expressed their appreciation to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the services that facilitated their entry to the Two Holy Mosques.
Malaysian pilgrims stated that the implementation of this initiative helped expedite immigration procedures by using technology to facilitate their journey to the Kingdom.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior launched the fourth version of the initiative in Malaysia, as well as in Pakistan, Indonesia, Morocco, and Bangladesh. This initiative is part of the Pilgrim Experience Program, one of the programs of Saudi Vision 2030.
About 1,800 pilgrims arriving from Iraq also praised the comprehensive services provided to them upon their arrival on Saturday at the Jadidat Arar land port in the northern region of the Kingdom.
They mentioned the warm reception and hospitality, the speedy preparation for completing arrival procedures, as well as the medical and health services provided upon arrival.
They expressed their gratitude to the Saudi government for the care and Hajj-related services enjoyed by pilgrims at the Jadidat Arar land port.
The service facilities at the Jadidat Arar land port are also operating at full capacity during the period of pilgrims' entry to the holy sites.
Saudi Arabia has permitted up to 1 million people to join the Hajj this year, inviting pilgrims from other countries for the first time in two years, after COVID-19 restrictions led to the annual pilgrimage being limited to residents of the Kingdom.