MAKKAH, MAY 23 (V7N) - More than 1.5 million Muslim pilgrims from around the world have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the upcoming annual Hajj pilgrimage, official state figures confirmed. Despite severe airspace disruptions and surging travel costs sparked by the conflict in the Middle East following military escalations in late February, international visitor numbers have already surpassed last year’s total.

Major Gulf carriers across the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain successfully scrambled over recent weeks to restore their operational capacities following extensive airspace closures, allowing waves of pilgrims to reach the kingdom safely.

Global and Bangladeshi Arrival Metrics

The Commander of Saudi Arabia's Hajj Passport Forces, Saleh Al-Murabba, announced that international arrivals reached 1,518,153 by Friday night, with numbers expected to climb further before the core rituals officially commence on Monday.

Concurrently, the flight operations for Bangladeshi pilgrims have largely concluded, successfully transporting tens of thousands of worshippers to the holy sites.

Total Global External Arrivals: 1,518,153 Pilgrims
Total Bangladeshi Arrivals: 79,164 Pilgrims

Breakdown of Bangladeshi Transport & Management:

Airlines Distribution: Biman Bangladesh Airlines carried the largest share with 38,702 pilgrims across 98 flights. Saudi Arabian Airlines transported 27,340 passengers via 73 flights, while Flynas Airlines brought 12,157 pilgrims on 30 flights.

Management Breakdown: Out of the total arrivals from Bangladesh, 4,564 traveled under direct government management, 73,926 through private tour arrangements, and 774 represented various supervisory organizations.

Agency Operations: A quota of 78,500 was originally allocated to Bangladesh, with 660 private Hajj agencies—comprising 30 lead agencies and 630 coordinating agencies—managing the private sector operations. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman officially inaugurated the country's first Hajj flight on April 17.

Logistics, Medical Operations, and Health Bulletins

With the holy day of Hajj scheduled to be observed in Saudi Arabia on May 26, a high-level logistical coordination meeting was held in the capital with representatives of Hajj guides and local Maktabs (service offices) in Mina and Arafah. Chaired by Religious Affairs Secretary Munshi Alauddin Al Azad, with Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad attending as the chief guest, the assembly finalized critical strategies for camp-to-camp transportation, medical response traps, and catering logistics.

Service Desk Beneficiaries Assisted Service Scope
Saudi Medical Teams 44,831 Pilgrims Automated emergency care, heatstroke stabilization, and clinical checkups.
IT Helpdesk & Medical Services 20,987 Pilgrims Digital track-and-trace medical assistance, missing pilgrim locator, and language support.

Health Notice and Mortality Update: According to the latest official Hajj bulletin, 24 Bangladeshi pilgrims have passed away due to poor health conditions and pre-existing chronic illnesses complicated by the region's intense weather. The deceased include 17 males and 7 females; 15 fatalities were recorded in Makkah, and 9 occurred in Madinah.

Pilgrims will begin their journeys to the tent city of Mina tonight, marking the spiritual launch of the pilgrimage. Return flights for Bangladeshi nationals are scheduled to begin on May 30, with the final repatriation flight slated to touch down in Dhaka on June 30.

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