15.2m Pilgrims Perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia in Three Months
GASTAT figures show 9.46m domestic performers and 5.77m international visitors as Umrah demand remains strong
By Abdullahi Yusuf
Saudi Arabia recorded more than 15.2 million Umrah performers in the first quarter of 2026, with domestic pilgrims accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total, according to new figures from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).
A total of 15,233,767 people performed Umrah between January and March, including 9,464,496 domestic performers and 5,769,271 who arrived from outside the Kingdom.
The figures underline the scale of Saudi Arabia’s religious tourism industry, with millions travelling to Makkah and Madinah for pilgrimage during the three-month period.
International performers accounted for about 37.9 per cent of the total, while domestic performers made up roughly 62.1 per cent.
Among the international pilgrims, 2,777,904 were men and 2,991,367 were women, meaning women accounted for about 51.8 per cent of those arriving from abroad. Overall, men represented 59.4 per cent of all Umrah performers, compared with 40.6 per cent women.
Air travel remained by far the dominant route for international pilgrims, accounting for 86 per cent of arrivals. Land crossings accounted for 13.6 per cent, while only 0.4 per cent arrived through seaports.
The domestic figure included 4,396,828 Saudi nationals and 5,067,668 non-Saudi residents, showing that residents from outside the Kingdom also formed a substantial part of domestic Umrah activity.
The Q1 2026 total was broadly in line with the same period last year. GASTAT recorded 15,222,497 Umrah performers in Q1 2025, meaning the latest figure represents an increase of only about 11,270 performers.
The more significant change was in the composition of demand. International Umrah performers fell from 6.52 million in Q1 2025 to 5.77 million this year, while domestic performers increased from about 8.70 million to 9.46 million.
The latest figures come as Saudi Arabia continues to expand and regulate the services surrounding Umrah, including travel, accommodation, transportation and digital services, as part of its broader efforts to improve the experience of pilgrims and visitors.
GASTAT has published Umrah and Madinah visitation statistics quarterly since 2024, drawing on field surveys, administrative records and statistical models.
The Q1 statistics cover January 1 to March 31, 2026 and should therefore not be read as a measure of the entire current Umrah season.
Saudi Arabia has since moved into the next Umrah cycle, with the Kingdom continuing to manage visa issuance, pilgrim arrivals and departures under its official pilgrimage calendar.
The scale of the first-quarter figures nevertheless highlights the continuing demand for Umrah and the vast network of services required to accommodate millions of pilgrims travelling to Islam’s holiest cities.
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