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Over 1.5 million pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia from outside the kingdom for the upcoming Haj, according to a Saudi official, exceeding the number of international visitors last year despite the war in the Middle East.
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.
