Tuesday 20 / May / 2025
Muscat: The number of pilgrims from the Sultanate of Oman for 1446 AH reached 13,944, with 99.6% having completed all requirements for performing Hajj rituals, while 56 pilgrims are still finalising procedures.
This was announced during a press conference held by Oman’s Hajj Mission at the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, which reviewed the indicators, statistics, and improvements for this year’s Hajj season.
Ahmed Saleh Al Rashdi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs and head of Oman’s Hajj Mission, stated that Oman’s Hajj quota for this year was 14,000 pilgrims, including 13,530 Omani citizens and 470 residents. The total quota was distributed among the governorates based on population density (number of residents) for those aged 18 and above.
He added that Muscat Governorate received the largest share at 24% of the total quota, followed by North Al Batinah Governorate at 19%, while Musandam Governorate received the smallest share, amounting to less than 1% of the approved quota.
He noted that eligibility was granted electronically through Oman’s Hajj registration system, using mathematical formulas based on Sharia principles and jurisprudential considerations that account for various aspects and objectives, including social factors.
Regarding the distribution of pilgrims by Hajj type, he explained that obligatory Hajj pilgrims constituted the largest group, totalling approximately 11,780 pilgrims (84% of the quota), followed by voluntary pilgrims, those performing Hajj on behalf of the incapacitated, executing wills, performing Hajj on behalf of the deceased, and finally, pilgrims with chronic illnesses.
As for age demographics, he reported that the 30–45 age group ranked first at 39%, followed by the 45–60 age group, then those over 60 (approximately 16%), and finally the youngest group (18–30) at 5%.
He further stated that most of Oman’s pilgrims chose air travel (over 63%), while 37% preferred land. The average cost for land pilgrims is OMR1,417, compared to OMR2,063 for air pilgrims.
He highlighted that Oman’s Hajj Mission launched several qualitative initiatives this season, including the Awqaf Beit Al-Ribat initiative to support eligible social welfare recipients for Hajj 1446 AH, benefiting over 150 pilgrims with a total exceeding OMR150,000. Additionally, the first Hajj and Umrah Exhibition saw participation from more than 30 government and private entities.
He added that the mobile cart initiative for elderly pilgrims aims to provide carts for performing Tawaf and Sa’i rituals, with around 450 elderly and special needs pilgrims expected to benefit this season.
Meanwhile, the electronic wristband initiative provides wearable devices for elderly pilgrims and those with medical conditions to enhance safety, tracking, and reduce cases of loss.
He noted that the Hajj Company Readiness Assessment initiative seeks to ensure the highest standards of efficiency and quality while improving the performance of Hajj companies in line with future stages of managing Oman’s pilgrims based on specific performance indicators. The expansion of land travel arrangements initiative aims to reduce the average waiting time for buses at land ports from four hours to approximately 45 minutes.
He explained that the Mission implemented several new improvements for this year’s Hajj season (1446 AH) in Oman’s camps in the holy sites across key service sectors. In Mina camp, 75 new restrooms were added, bringing the total to 267, along with 250 new ablution stations (total: 356). For air conditioning, 150 new split units were installed, raising the total to 900, in addition to other cooling systems.
In Arafat camp, 100 new restrooms were added (total: 320), along with 250 new ablution stations (total: 312). Air conditioning was also upgraded, with 60,000 cooling units now covering every 32 square meters, compared to 40 square meters last season.
