São Paulo – The General Authority for Statistics announced last weekend that this year saw 2,489,406 pilgrims going on Hajj, the huge annual pilgrimage to Mecca, as per information from the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). This was a 5% increase in number of followers from last year.
As per the statistics body, 1,855,027 pilgrims were from outside the country, while the number of domestic pilgrims reached 634,379 pilgrims, of whom 67% are foreigners. Saudi Arabia has a huge community of expatriate workers.
The number of male pilgrims reached 1,385,234 pilgrims, and the number of female pilgrims reached 1,104,172 pilgrims.
Last Sunday (11), the first day of Eid Al-Adha, aka Festival of the Sacrifice, which marks the end of the Hajj, pilgrims started the performing the ritualistic stoning of the three walls in Mina, which lasts for three days. Eid Al-Adha is celebrated all over the Muslim world and, this year, it will last until Wednesday (14).
Click here to read ANBA special report about Brazilians on Hajj.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
