SAUDI ARABIA
Seen through a decoration window, Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, during the minor pilgrimage, known as Umrah, in the Muslim holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in this March 10, 2016 photo. (AP)
MAKKAH: The number of Umrah visas issued by the Kingdom’s embassies abroad has reached 5,671,855 thanks to the strong marketing done by Umrah establishments and companies that are licensed by external representatives.
The actual number of pilgrims who entered the Kingdom through different ports reached 5,047,088. This was an increase of 5 percent over last year.
The majority of pilgrims came from Egypt, with the number of Umrah visas reaching 1,207,891.
Source: http://www.arabnews.com/node/931396/saudi-arabia
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Saudi Arabia, The Muslim Times
I just recently went and the traffic was crazy because of the closed entrances. The increase will only make it worse.