MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th August, 2018) Saudi Arabia, home to some of the most holy sites of islam, has seen the number of pilgrims visiting the country this year almost unchanged from the same period in 2017, with the total exceeding 1.57 million, local media reported Wednesday.
The total number of pilgrims from other countries fell by 15,183, or less than 0.1 percent year-on-year, to 1,570,054, in the period from January 1 to August 14, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, referring to data from the country's Directorate General For Passports.
The directorate further noted that 1,473,659 pilgrims arrived in the country by air, while 80,569 came by land and 15,826 by sea.
Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam's holiest city, is one of the most important traditions of the religion. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, and each Muslim is required to make the pilgrimage at least once in a life time. Annually, the religious event brings together millions of Muslims. In 2018, Hajj will take place between August 19 and August 24.
