In the first three months of 2025, Saudi Arabia welcomed a total of 15.2 million Umrah pilgrims, showing a strong uplift in the religious journey. About one-fourth of these pilgrims were Saudi citizens, while most international visitors arrived by air. This data also reveals interesting monthly ups and downs between international and domestic pilgrims, as well as with enough travel to Medina.
Record umrah number and demographics
The General Authority for Statistics said that 15,222,497 pilgrims performed Umrah during Q1 2025. Of these, Saudi represented 24%, stating that most of the pilgrims were foreign or non-mini residents within the state. Gender distribution showed a misery of men, who were responsible for 60.5% of pilgrims, while women increased by 39.5%.The number of international pilgrims in this period was 6,523,630, which marks an increase of 10.7% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Most of these foreign visitors -82.2% -Saudi Arabia underlined the importance of air travel in the convenience of Umraha pilgrimage through HY bases.Meanwhile, 8,698,867 pilgrims were domestic artists. Among them, non-modes living in the state created 58%, which reflects the significant presence of migrant communities engaged in Umrah.
Monthly variety in pilgrimage trends
January 2025 was a peak month for international pilgrims, with a total of 36.5% of the total Umrah artists during the quarter. In contrast, March saw the least foreign pilgrims.Domestic pilgrims followed a separate pattern: March recorded the highest ratio of local artists, which represents 80.9% of the domestic total for the quarter, while January was the lowest domestic participation.
Madinah visiting figure
Madina attracted 6,452,696 visitors in Q1 2025, of which 4,412,689 were international visitors. This significant leg reflects Madina’s continuous appeal as a major religious and cultural destination, which complements the Umra pilgrimage in Mecca.
Data sources and reporting
Quarterly figures on Umrah and Madina visitors have been published from 2024. They rely on the Pilgrimal Experience Program and a combination of field survey and administrative data from the Ministry of Tourism. Approved statistical models help ensure accuracy and understanding of these reports, providing detailed insight into religious travel patterns within and outside Saudi Arabia
