Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb conducted an inspection tour of pilgrim hospitality facilities in Makkah as part of ongoing preparations for the upcoming Hajj season.
During the visit, the minister reviewed the services provided to pilgrims and met with tourism sector workers, including participants in ministry-led training programs aimed at enhancing service quality and workforce readiness.
Al-Khateeb announced the addition of more than 566,000 beds to the pilgrim hospitality sector in Makkah, made possible through a temporary accommodation licensing service launched in October last year, significantly boosting the city’s capacity to accommodate visitors.
Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is an obligatory pilgrimage for all able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime. This year’s Hajj is expected to take place from May 24 to 29, with thousands of pilgrims already arriving in the Kingdom in preparation.
According to official statistics, more than 1.67 million pilgrims performed Hajj last year, including approximately 166,000 from within Saudi Arabia, while the majority traveled from abroad.
