261,000 pilgrims arrive in Madinah after Hajj

MADINAH: Almost 261,000 pilgrims of various nationalities have arrived in Madinah after performing Hajj rituals in Makkah, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah statistics showed that the Madinah immigration center received almost 249,417 worshippers who arrived by bus.

More than 11,055 made their way overland to the Land Pilgrim Reception Center, and nearly 4,166 traveled on the Haramain high-speed railway.

Ministry figures also revealed that thousands of pilgrims left Madinah for their respective countries, while more than 81,102 remained in the holy city.

The ministry also held 399 field visits to evaluate the performance of service providers to pilgrims.

During their stay, many of the pilgrims visited the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, in Madinah, located adjacent to the southern squares of the Prophet’s Mosque.

The museum, which is open 24 hours a day, offers an introduction to the Prophet Muhammad through displays and interactive screens available in a variety of languages. One hall includes rare items and ancient artifacts from the Two Holy Mosques.

This year, the Kingdom allowed up to 1 million people to perform Hajj. Authorities welcomed foreign pilgrims for the first time in two years following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions that had forced the annual pilgrimage to be limited to residents of Saudi Arabia.