Saudi Arabia has declared the 1446 Hajj pilgrimage a remarkable success, with over 1.6 million faithful completing the sacred rites in what officials described as a secure, peaceful, and incident-free season.
The announcement was made by Prince Saud bin Mishaal, the Deputy Emir of the Makkah Region, during a press briefing in Makkah on Monday.
He credited the smooth execution to the comprehensive operational strategies put in place by the Saudi leadership, especially under the guidance of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The pilgrimage saw a total of 1,673,230 pilgrims in attendance, including over 1.5 million international visitors and more than 160,000 domestic participants.
The gender distribution was nearly balanced, with both men and women fully engaged in the religious rites.
Prince Mishaal emphasized that the pilgrims performed their obligations without disruption, and he commended their discipline and cooperation in adhering to all the prescribed safety and organizational protocols.
According to him, the absence of significant health or security incidents was due to the seamless integration of services, from crowd control and medical readiness to security enforcement and transport logistics.
He expressed pride in the Kingdom’s ability to host millions of worshippers at the holy sites, and praised the continued commitment of Saudi authorities to upholding the sanctity and safety of the pilgrimage.
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The prince also reaffirmed that preparations for the 1447 Hajj season would begin immediately, aiming to enhance the experience for future pilgrims.
However, amid the broader success, Nigeria recorded the loss of seven pilgrims during the Hajj period. These individuals, mostly elderly, succumbed to various health-related complications.
Among them were cases of diabetes, heart failure, and other pre-existing conditions that worsened during the journey.
Officials from the Nigerian Hajj Commission indicated that despite repeated advisories against allowing high-risk individuals to embark on the pilgrimage, health screenings were not always enforced by state-level boards.
The commission noted that while it is not directly responsible for medical evaluations, it continues to advocate stricter policies to minimize health-related casualties.
Deaths were also reported before and during the core rites of Hajj, including one fatality on the sacred plain of Arafat. Most of the Nigerian casualties were confirmed to have died natural deaths, with no links to the intense heat experienced during the pilgrimage.
This marks a considerable improvement from the previous year, when extreme temperatures led to over a thousand deaths among unauthorized pilgrims.
In response to that tragedy, Saudi Arabia implemented new policies, including suspending short-term visas for travelers from 14 countries and enforcing entry bans into Makkah without a valid Hajj permit.
Fines were also introduced, alongside a ban on children under 12 participating in this year’s Hajj, all aimed at enhancing safety.
The Deputy Emir reiterated Saudi Arabia’s ongoing commitment to serving pilgrims from across the Muslim world, calling the successful conclusion of Hajj 1446 a testament to the Kingdom’s religious, logistical, and diplomatic dedication.
The season has been met with widespread praise from the global Muslim community, many of whom have applauded the Kingdom’s improved organization and warm hospitality.
NAN
