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General Authority of Statistics: 1.87 Million Pilgrims this Hajj Season | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Muslim pilgrims perform prayers in Arafat during the annual hajj pilgrimage, outside the holy city of Mecca. Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters


General Authority of Statistics: 1.87 Million Pilgrims this Hajj Season

by | Sep 12, 2016 | Saudi Arabia |

General Authority of Statistics: 1.87 Million Pilgrims this Hajj Season

Makkah – Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Statistics said on Sunday that 1.87 pilgrims have performed the Holy Hajj during this year’s season.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Authority announced that the total number of pilgrims reached 1,862,909. Those include 1,325,372 pilgrims from outside the Kingdom, while the total number of pilgrims from inside Saudi Arabia reached 537,537.

The statement added that the vast majority of pilgrims coming from inside Saudi Arabia were non-Saudi residents.

The statement added that the total number of non-Saudi pilgrims reached 1,692,417, while the total number of Saudis, who performed the Holy Hajj, reached 170,492.

The Authority said in a report published on its website that it uses diverse methods to support the main centers while counting pilgrims. It added that an example of these methods is finding supporting centers in Madinah, Jeddah, and Taif.

The report added that the Hajj statistics program aims at providing thorough and accurate data about the numbers of pilgrims according to their arrival ways and times. “This would help in preparing plans and programs that are necessary to provide a distinct care for all pilgrims,” the Authority said in its report.

During this year, a new data collection mechanism was developed and improved by using portable devices which help in getting the total results of pilgrim numbers classified according to their nationalities, arrival centers, and arriving times, the report also said.