Hajj : 866,633 Pilgrims Arrive in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Riyadh, 29 Dzulqa’dah 1437/01 September 2016 (MINA) – The number of pilgrims coming from abroad until yesterday Tuesday, 27/11/1437 AH, amounted to 866,633 pilgrims, according to statistics issued by the Saudi General Directorate of Passports.

The directorate explained that the number of pilgrims coming by air amounted to 830,543 pilgrims, 26,525 pilgrims by land, and 9,465 pilgrims by sea.

About two million people are expected in Mecca to observe the fifth pillar of Islam which is a mandatory religious duty for an adult Muslim who can afford it.

This year’s Hajj is expected to begin on Friday September 9 and end on September 14. Already, Saudi authorities estimate about one million people are in the country getting ready to embark on the ritual.

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Saudi Arabia had allocated to Indonesia a pilgrim quota of 168,800 for this year, reduced from the earlier more than 210,000 a year, due to the ongoing renovation work in Masjidil Haram.

Before 2013, Indonesia had a quota of 211,000 pilgrims who could visit Saudi Arabia to perform the fifth pillar of the Islamic tenets. The quota is based on a formula of one pilgrim for every 1,000 of a country’s population.

There are 3.2 million Indonesians on the Hajj wait list.

So, Indonesians wishing to make pilgrimage to Mecca will have to wait even longer after Saudi Arabia cut the nation’s quota by 20 percent, adding to a backlog that is already 12 years long. (T/R07/R01)

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Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)