The conflict triggered by the US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February saw Tehran order waves of strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf, prompting widespread air traffic disruptions and causing travel costs to surge.
Major Gulf airlines in the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain have worked to quickly restore much of their operational capacity after weeks of airspace closures and flight cancellations.
Despite the complications, pilgrims have continued to flock to Saudi Arabia to participate in this year’s Haj.
“The total number of pilgrims arriving from abroad has reached 1,518,153,” Saleh Al-Murabba, the commander of Saudi Arabia’s Haj Passport Forces, told a press conference late Friday.
These figures are expected to rise further over the next two days as pilgrims continue to arrive from abroad ahead of the formal rituals that mark the beginning of the Haj on Monday.
Last year, the total number of pilgrims reached 1,673,320, including 1,506,576 from outside Saudi Arabia.
Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means.
Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology has warned of dust-stirring winds and extreme daytime heat across several regions on Friday as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims continue arriving ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The center said that surface winds carrying dust and sand are expected to affect parts of Najran, Riyadh, the Eastern Province, the Northern Borders region, Al-Jouf and Tabuk.
NCM also warned of possible thunderstorms and rain over parts of the highlands of Jazan, Asir, Al-Baha, and Makkah.
The weather authority forecast stable but hot to very hot daytime conditions along the roads linking Madinah, Makkah and the holy sites, where large movements of pilgrims are underway ahead of Hajj rituals beginning on May 25.
Temperatures are expected to reach 47 degrees Celsius in Makkah and 44 degrees Celsius in Madinah, accompanied by humidity levels of up to 40 percent and dust-stirring winds in open areas.=
The center urged pilgrims and travelers to prepare their vehicles before setting out, follow safety guidelines and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, the Saudi Press Agency earlier reported.
At least 1.6 million pilgrims are expected to gather in Makkah for this year’s Hajj, placing intense focus on weather and safety conditions during one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings.
While the Hajj rituals are centered in Makkah and the surrounding holy sites, many pilgrims also travel through Madinah, Islam’s second-holiest city, either before or after completing the pilgrimage.
Although visiting Madinah is not a compulsory part of Hajj, the city holds deep spiritual and historical significance for Muslims, and most pilgrims make it a priority to spend several days there during their journey.