More than 2 million pilgrims complete journey to Mount Arafat for second day of Hajj

More than 2.37 million faithful, topping last year's figures,  from around the world ascended the vast plains of Arafat to pray and repent at the climax of the annual pilgrimage of Haj,  according to the final statistics issued by Saudi authorities late on Monday.

Announcing the Haj 1439 Hijri (2018) statistics, the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) said the total number of international and domestic pilgrims was 2,371,675. Of those, 1,758,722 pilgrims came from outside Saudi Arabia, while 612,953 came from inside the Kingdom and comprised both citizens and residents.

The numbers have surpassed last year's, when more than 2.35 million pilgrims performed Haj, including more than 1.75 million international pilgrims.

#منى تستقبل ضيوف الرحمن مهللين مكبرين لرمي جمرة العقبة.#العالم_في_قلب_المملكة #حج1439هـ #واس pic.twitter.com/8sWEKJnu8h

— واس (@spagov) August 21, 2018

Officials at the General Authority for Statistics said the latest numbers are considered "final" as any pilgrims arriving after sunset on Monday will not be counted as performing Hajj. Monday, known as Yaum Arafat or (Yaum Arafah), or the Day of Arafat, marks the climactic day of Haj.

"Haj is Arafat," is a well-known Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) signifying that standing in Arafat is an essential part of Haj. Scholars have interpreted the saying as meaning 'Whoever misses the standing (in Arafat) has missed Haj'.

Haj is the largest annual religious gathering in the world. Haj officially starts on the evening of 8th of Dhul Hijjah and lasts for five days until the 12th but some pilgrims still perform Haj on the 13th of the same Islamic month, corresponding to Friday August 24th, 2018. All Muslims who are physically and financially able to make the pilgrimage are required to do so at least once in their lives.

GASTAT said the total number of male pilgrims reached 1,327,127, while female pilgrims numbered 1,044,548.

As for those arriving from outside Saudi Arabia, GCC pilgrims numbered 34,140, while the number of pilgrims from Arab countries apart from GCC pilgrims reached 395,410. The number of pilgrims from Asian countries apart from Arab countries reached 1,049,496.

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The number of pilgrims coming from African countries apart from Arab countries was 166,083 while pilgrims from European countries numbered 88,601. There were 24,992 pilgrims from North America, South America, and Australia combined.

GASTAT said 1,656,936 pilgrims who came from outside Saudi Arabia arrived through airports, and 85,623 arrived through land crossings. Saudi sea ports received 16,163 pilgrims.

#يحدث_الآن.. حجاج بيت الله الحرام يرمون #جمرة_العقبة.#العالم_في_قلب_المملكة #حج1439هـ #واس pic.twitter.com/LpZ5HESuff

— واس (@spagov) August 21, 2018

GASTAT also released figures regarding the labor force mustered for Haj in Saudi Arabia. More than 287,300 people from governmental and private entities participated in providing more than 215 main services and sub-services to pilgrims.

#صور .. حجاج بيت الله الحرام يرمون #جمرة_العقبة.#العالم_في_قلب_المملكة #حج1439هـ #hajj2018 #واس pic.twitter.com/0on3AKj0HV

— واس (@spagov) August 21, 2018

Dr. Fahad Altekhaifi, head of GASTAT, thanked all the governmental security entities that supported GASTAT in the compilation of this year's Haj statistics. He also praised the work of more than 450 statistical researchers who "completed their assigned tasks for the Haj of this year after working 24/7 starting from the beginning of this month until the sunset of the day of Arafah."