According to Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Tawfiq al-Rabiah, over 1.8 million pilgrims from more than 150 nations have participated in the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
According to the General Authority for Statistics, 346,214 pilgrims, or almost 21% of the total number of pilgrims, came from different Arab nations, as reported by Alarabiya.
Over 1 million people attended the event, with Asian nations outnumbering Arab countries as the primary source of attendees. The most significant percentage of any region is reflected by this number, which equals 63.5 per cent of the total attendance.
222,863 people from African countries, excluding Arab countries, participated in the pilgrimage, constituting 13.4% of all pilgrims. 36,521 worshippers, or the remaining 2.1 per cent, came from Australia, Europe, and the United States.
For the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Muslims worldwide began the annual Hajj journey on Monday, the eighth day of Dul Hijjah.
During Hajj, millions of worshippers congregate in Mecca to perform the ritual required of all financially competent Muslims.
According to reports, over 30,000 Afghans have participated in the Hajj pilgrims this year.
“We are thankful to the Saudi government for giving the chance to perform the Hajj to 30,000 Afghans,” said Afghan pilgrims.
After decades of war, the Afghan economy has suffered even more since the US and other international organisations imposed sanctions after the Taliban seized power in August 2021.
According to estimation, the Hajj journey costs nearly $400, which is only affordable for some Afghan citizens.
