Saudi Records 11.3m Umrah Pilgrims in Final Quarter of 2025
By Abdulrazaq Auwal
Saudi Arabia recorded more than 11.3 million Umrah pilgrims during the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting strong demand for religious travel and the Kingdom’s growing capacity to serve worshippers from around the world.
According to statistics released by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), a total of 11,291,326 pilgrims performed Umrah between October and December 2025.
The figure comprised 5,701,525 pilgrims from outside Saudi Arabia and 5,589,801 pilgrims from within the Kingdom.
The report showed that men accounted for 56.8 percent of all Umrah performers, totaling approximately 6.4 million pilgrims, while women represented 43.2 percent, or about 4.9 million pilgrims.
Among domestic pilgrims, non-Saudis made up 53.2 percent, compared to 46.8 percent Saudi citizens.
GASTAT noted that only 2.9 percent of pilgrims performed Umrah more than once during the quarter, indicating that the vast majority undertook a single pilgrimage during the period.
Regionally, the Makkah Region recorded the highest number of domestic Umrah performers with 2,002,701 pilgrims, followed by the Riyadh Region, which accounted for 1,146,451 pilgrims.
The data also highlighted a strong female presence among international pilgrims, with women representing 53 percent of Umrah performers arriving from abroad.
Air travel remained the preferred mode of entry for international pilgrims. A total of 4,976,861 pilgrims arrived through Saudi airports, representing 87.3 percent of all foreign Umrah performers during the quarter.
Monthly statistics showed that November recorded the highest share of domestic Umrah activity at 36.8 percent, while December emerged as the busiest month for international pilgrims, accounting for 37.6 percent of external Umrah performers. During December alone, 2,142,252 pilgrims from abroad performed Umrah.
Beyond Makkah, the report revealed that 5,722,584 people visited Madinah during the quarter, including 3,846,284 international visitors, underscoring the city’s enduring importance in the pilgrimage journey.
