Pakistan has consistently retained the second position in terms of the number of pilgrims who visited Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah this season, which began from 1 Muharram.
Approximately 370,000 Pakistanis performed Umrah in the Kingdom during the last 3.5 months of the Umrah season, which will end on 20 Dhu al-Qa’dah this year.
Furthermore, Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, has maintained the top spot throughout the season, with nearly 551,000 Umrah pilgrims, followed by 370,000 Pakistani, 230,000 Indian, and 100,000 Egyptian pilgrims.
It is worth noting that over 1.78 million Muslims entered the Kingdom via flights and 180,000 pilgrims through roads, 1,200 by sea routes.
Besides, the Saudi government also increased the Umrah visa validity from one month to three months and allowed the pilgrims to travel all across the country with their visas.
In related news, Saudi Arabia also announced a special offer for FIFA World Cup ticket holders and allowed them to perform Umrah in the ongoing season without having to pay a visa fee.
According to the details, people performing Umrah will not be charged if they have the Hayya card, which is given to the fans attending FIFA World Cup matches in Qatar.
It is important to note that those attending the tournament in November and December of this year will also stay in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in addition to the host country Qatar.
