JEDDAH — Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah announced on Monday that the number of pilgrims who have performed Umrah during the year 2023 reached a record number of 13.55 million. The increase in the number of Umrah pilgrims is estimated at five million or 58 percent while compared to the year 2019, he said. The minister made the remarks while addressing the 3rd annual Hajj and Umrah Services Conference and Exhibition at Jeddah Superdome. The four-day conference is being held under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. “Previously, the largest number of Umrah pilgrims from outside the Kingdom was in 2019, estimated at 8.55 million and this year the number surged to 13.55 million, thanks to the elaborate facilities and arrangements made by the Saudi government. This figure is the largest in the history of foreign Umrah pilgrims,” he said. Al-Rabiah said the current edition of the conference witnesses the participation of ministers and leaders from more than 80 countries. The conference will also see the signing of Hajj agreements with each of the participating countries. “More than 35 companies will provide their services during the Hajj this year, compared to 20 companies last year,” he said. The minister noted that Saudi Arabia launched projects worth more than SR5 billion to develop the infrastructure at the holy sites. “Last year, we worked to train more than 40,000 workers in the Hajj and Umrah system, and this year we are working to train more than 120,000 people to serve the pilgrims. We also work to raise the level of awareness among pilgrims and have worked on an initiative to establish an awareness center in cooperation with the General Authority of Endowments.” “We visited 13 countries and held exhibitions there with our partners from the public and private sectors, which had a significant impact on improving procedures and understanding the challenges. We worked with our partners to develop more than 200 procedures that facilitate the arrival of pilgrims,” he said adding that expatriates of all Gulf countries were also allowed to issue electronic visas to visit the Kingdom and perform Umrah. Al-Rabiah said that partners in the transport sector were working to increase direct flights from 164 destinations to 216 destinations, an increase of 32 percent. “We also worked to develop historical sites to enrich the pilgrims’ experience,” he added.