2023 Marks the Largest Haj with Over 2.5 Million Pilgrims

More than 2.5 million muslins from around the world are participating in this year’s haj pilgrimage, a fresh record high as covid-19 restrictions have been fully revoked.

The Saudi government in 2020 only allowed 10,000 haj pilgrims into the country due to Covid-19 outbreak. In 2021, the figure rose slightly to 59,000 before jumping to one million last year. With local weather in Saudi Arabia nearing 45 centigrade, many pilgrims are suffering heatstroke.

The Saudi government has put more than 32,000 health workers and thousands of ambulances on standby to handle cases of heat stroke, dehydration, and fatigue.