Hajj Pilgrimage Sees Increased Numbers Amidst West Asian Tensions

Kathmandu. Amidst the ongoing tension in West Asia after the America-Israel carried out an airstrike on Iran on February 28, the number of Islamic followers coming for Hajj pilgrimage this year has been seen to be more than last year.

According to Saudi officials, more than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside Saudi Arabia for the upcoming Hajj. Following the conflict that began with the attack by America and Israel in Iran at the end of February, Tehran had ordered attacks on Saudi Arabia and targets in the Gulf region.

The attack had caused widespread disruption to air traffic and increased travel costs. Major Gulf airports in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Bahrain have been working to rapidly restore their operational capacity after weeks of airspace closures and flight cancellations.

Despite the complexities, the influx of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to participate in this year's Hajj continues. Saleh Al-Murabba, commander of Saudi Arabia's Hajj Passport Force, said at a press conference held on Friday night, 'The number of pilgrims coming from abroad has reached 118,153.'

This figure is expected to increase further in the next two days as pilgrims continue to arrive from abroad before the formal rituals of Hajj begin on Monday. Last year, the total number of pilgrims for Hajj reached 1,673,320, of which 1,506,576 were travelers from outside Saudi Arabia.

It is found that the number of Islamic followers performing Hajj pilgrimage increases every year due to the religious belief that all Muslims must perform Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, with devotion at least once in their lifetime.