26 June 2016
RIYADH: The Ministry of Haj and Umrah stopped issuing Umrah visas from Ramadan 16.
The ministry said the Umrah season for this year registered an increase of 6.6 percent over last year.
The number of visas this year was 6,393,464, an increase of 447,252. The number of Umrah visitors last year was 5,946,212.
Till Saturday, the number of pilgrims hit 5,956,631. Egyptians topped the list with 1,303,067 visas, but the number of pilgrims who actually came was 1,252,800, an increase of 17,000 over the previous year.
This was followed by Pakistan at 991,337 visas, marking an increase of 29 percent. Indonesia came third with 699,612 visas, an increase of 7.20 percent. Fourth came Turkey with 473,672 visas.
Jordan was fifth with 434,479 visas, marking a 7.59 percent increase over last year. Indian Umrah visas increased to 409,639. Algeria was seventh with 371,949 visas, marking a 28.5 percent increase.
Malaysians were issued 226,005 visas, an increase of 10 percent. However, only 215,415 came for the pilgrimage. At eighth place was the UAE with 187,289 visas, an increase of 6.99 percent over last year.
Iraq registered a decrease of 10.22 percent, with 168,406 visas.
RIYADH: The Ministry of Haj and Umrah stopped issuing Umrah visas from Ramadan 16.
The ministry said the Umrah season for this year registered an increase of 6.6 percent over last year.
The number of visas this year was 6,393,464, an increase of 447,252. The number of Umrah visitors last year was 5,946,212.
Till Saturday, the number of pilgrims hit 5,956,631. Egyptians topped the list with 1,303,067 visas, but the number of pilgrims who actually came was 1,252,800, an increase of 17,000 over the previous year.
This was followed by Pakistan at 991,337 visas, marking an increase of 29 percent. Indonesia came third with 699,612 visas, an increase of 7.20 percent. Fourth came Turkey with 473,672 visas.
Jordan was fifth with 434,479 visas, marking a 7.59 percent increase over last year. Indian Umrah visas increased to 409,639. Algeria was seventh with 371,949 visas, marking a 28.5 percent increase.
Malaysians were issued 226,005 visas, an increase of 10 percent. However, only 215,415 came for the pilgrimage. At eighth place was the UAE with 187,289 visas, an increase of 6.99 percent over last year.
Iraq registered a decrease of 10.22 percent, with 168,406 visas.
© Arab News 2016
