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The General Authority for Statistics released detailed Umrah figures for the January-to-March period on August 23, showing a total of 15,233,767 performers across domestic and international categories. This quarterly total breaks down to 9,464,496 internal participants and 5,769,271 arrivals from abroad, according to the authority’s bulletin. The data further indicates that males accounted for 59.4 percent of all performers while females represented 40.6 percent, with Saudis comprising 28.9 percent of the combined figure.
Internal Umrah activity saw Saudi citizens total 4,396,828 or 46.5 percent of that group, the General Authority for Statistics reported, leaving non-Saudis at 5,067,668 or 53.5 percent. Males formed 66.2 percent of internal performers at 6,265,810 while females stood at 33.8 percent, GSTAT figures show. The authority noted that 9,026,108 or 95.4 percent undertook the ritual once during the quarter, compared with 438,388 who performed it multiple times.
Travel patterns among internal performers leaned heavily toward family groups at 75.4 percent, according to the statistics authority, followed by individuals at 17.2 percent and friends at 7.4 percent. Regionally, Makkah hosted 4,066,669 internal performers or 43 percent of the domestic total while Riyadh saw 2,026,029 or 21.4 percent and the Northern Borders Province recorded the lowest share at 41,718 or 0.4 percent. The General Authority for Statistics tied these distributions to established population centers and transport links.
International arrivals peaked in January with 2,237,418 or 38.8 percent of the external cohort, the authority’s assessment found, before declining to the lowest monthly figure in March at 1,390,130. Age breakdowns showed that 18.8 percent of external performers fell into the 55-64 bracket while those aged 0-14 accounted for 8 percent. By contrast, the 25-34 age group dominated internal participation at 25.3 percent, with those 65 and older making up just 2.8 percent, GSTAT data places.
Visitors to Madinah numbered 3,741,460 among external performers and 1,984,193 among internal ones, according to the bulletin, with Saudis forming 49.2 percent of the domestic Madinah group at 975,278. The authority highlighted that these flows underscore the interconnected nature of the two holy cities in the Umrah itinerary. Such patterns align with sustained growth tracked in prior GSTAT releases, supporting the Pilgrim Experience Program under Vision 2030 that set benchmarks for millions of annual international Umrah visitors.
The first-quarter results come as Saudi Arabia continues infrastructure expansions at holy sites and entry points, the General Authority for Statistics noted in contextual remarks accompanying the release. Comparable periods in recent years have shown progressive increases in both domestic and overseas participation, per the authority’s historical series. These statistics provide a foundation for planning across hospitality, transport and regulatory services serving the pilgrim stream.
