RIYADH — A total of 18.5 million pilgrims from various parts of the world performed Hajj and Umrah during the year 2024. An overwhelming majority of these pilgrims, 16.92 million in number, came to perform Umrah, according to the statistical figures released by the Doyof Al-Rahman Program in its 2024 report. This figure of Umrah pilgrims exceeded the target for the last year, representing a growth rate of 101 percent compared to 2022. This reflects the integration of efforts and the smoothness of procedures, the program pointed out. In global index rankings, Makkah ranked fifth globally in terms of the number of international visitors, and Madinah jumped to seventh globally in the Tourism Performance Index, reflecting the Kingdom's leading position as a religious and tourist destination. "Doyof Al Rahman" is a program initiated by Saudi Arabia under the umbrella of Vision 2030, aiming to enhance the experience of pilgrims visiting Makkah and Madinah for Hajj and Umrah. The program focuses on streamlining services, improving infrastructure, and enriching the cultural and spiritual journey for pilgrims. The program explained that it is implementing 89 diverse initiatives in cooperation with more than 40 government agencies, achieving a 95 percent compliance rate. This is part of an integrated system covering all stages of the pilgrims' journey, from transportation and its facilities to performing rituals, all the way to enriching the cultural experience with visits to historical and archaeological sites. In terms of improving the visitor experience, the report indicated that Al-Rawdah Al-Sharif at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah received more than 13 million visitors in 2024, compared to 4 million in 2022. Visitor satisfaction rates increased from 57 percent to 81 percent, indicating the development of the user experience and the quality of services provided. The number of volunteers serving the pilgrims reached more than 153,000 in 2024, exceeding the targets for the same year in a qualitative leap. In 2022, the number of volunteers did not exceed 15,000, confirming the growing community awareness and spirit of participation in serving the pilgrims. Internationally, 33 foreign visits, led by the program and with the participation of entities working in the pilgrimage service system from the public and private sectors such as airlines, and Hajj and Umrah service providers, have contributed to overcoming obstacles facing the arrival of pilgrims and visitors. These visits resulted in practical solutions that strengthened international cooperation in this field, removed many obstacles, and opened dozens of international destinations, helping to increase the seating capacity for transporting pilgrims and facilitate procedures. The program's efforts also included developing digital platforms. The Nusuk platform provides more than 100 services to users. The Makkah Route initiative has served more than 940,000 beneficiaries since its launch, and the Enaya centers have provided services to approximately 3 million beneficiaries. The Nusuk app has been developed to become the most prominent and important app for millions of Muslims around the world. For his part, Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah highlighted the pivotal role of the Nusuk app, which has been developed to become the most prominent and important app for millions of Muslims around the world. He explained that the Nusuk card was a milestone in the 1445 Hajj season, and that the experience of visiting Al-Rawdah Al-Sharif at the Prophet's Mosque marked a historic milestone, with nearly 13 million Muslims able to visit it last year. "The joy was doubled by the rehabilitation and preparation of 15 historical sites linked to the Prophet's biography in Makkah and Madinah," he said. Al-Rabiah commended the tremendous efforts of approximately 153,000 volunteers, who reflected the morals of the authentic Saudi Muslim in serving the guests of God during the Hajj and Umrah seasons with passion, dedication, honesty, and sincerity. The minister emphasized that these achievements are the result of the combined efforts of more than 40 partner entities, who lead and implement the initiatives out of a sense of religious and national responsibility. He thanked them for their contributions and looked forward to even greater achievements in 2025. The minister noted that this effort is supported by the tireless and distinguished work of the Doyof Al-Rahman Program team, extending his gratitude and appreciation to them.
