Watch as thousands of pilgrims arrive at Mecca’s Grand Mosque ahead of Hajj

Watch as thousands of pilgrims who arrived in Mecca ahead of the start of Hajj attend Friday prayer at Mecca’s Grand Mosque.

More than two million worshippers are expected to brave the scorching Saudi Arabian heat for what will be the biggest hajj pilgrimage in years.

“As Hajj draws near, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia prepares to welcome pilgrims from all walks of life. With great pride and honour, we invite pilgrims to join us in the largest Islamic gathering in history,” the Minister of Hajj, Tawfiq Al Rabiah, said ahead of the gathering.

“Here, over two million pilgrims from over 160 countries will come together.”

Mr Al Rabiah also said airline bookings by those arriving reached the 1.7 million mark and noted that more than 32,000 healthcare practitioners, both male and female, will be on-site to provide their services to the devotees.

In the years following the Covid pandemic, numbers had been capped at one million.