Saudi Arabia To Raise Pilgrim Capacity to Meet Growing Demand During Ramadan

Saudi Arabia is pledging new measures, seeking to raise its pilgrim capacity in order to meet growing visitor demand during the holy month of Ramadan.

Rabat – Saudi Arabia is pledging new measures, seeking to raise its pilgrim capacity in order to meet growing visitor demand during the holy month of Ramadan.

The country’s Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb announced a series of meetings with business operators to discuss Mecca and Madina’s readiness to welcome visors and Umrah performances during the Ramadan season.

“Today, we are visiting Makkah al Mukarramah and Madinah Al Munawwarah in an inspection tour to assess the readiness of hospitality facilities and the quality of services provided to visitors during the holy month of Ramadan,” Al-Khateeb wrote on February 19.

Saudi Arabia’s minister explained the ministry’s plans to raise the pilgrim capacity through the rehabilitation and operation of 9,000 hotel rooms for the hospitality sector in the Madina. He pledged that the hotel rooms will be open before the start of Ramadan.

Reports said that over four million pilgrims have performed Umrah in the first 20 days of Ramadan 2022.

Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. Unlike Hajj, Umrah can be completed at any time of the year. However, many Muslims prefer to perform Umrah during Ramadan, one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar.

Ramadan is expected to begin on March 22 in Gulf countries, such as Saudi Arabia. An exact date for the holy month will be confirmed following the crescent sighting, which takes place a day or a few days following the start of Ramadan.

Astronomers expect the first day of Ramadan to be on March 23 in Morocco. The country’s Islamic Affairs is yet to confirm the official starting date.