Uzbekistan's Hajj quotas: Will 15,000 be enough?

In 2022, during a meeting between the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the Minister of Hajj and Umrah Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Tawfiq bin Fawzan al-Rabiah, an agreement was reached to double the annual Hajj quota for Uzbeks—up to 24,000 people—and the Umrah quota—up to 100,000 people. However, this agreement has not been implemented in practice, and the quotas allocated to Uzbekistan each year do not reach this level. For example, Saudi Arabia allocated 15,000 quotas to Uzbekistan for the Hajj-2025 pilgrimage. What is the reason for this?

On February 18, the Saudi Embassy in Uzbekistan held a press conference with the leadership of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Ministry of Information, during which important news regarding the pilgrimages was announced.

“Before determining this amount, we will talk to the relevant organizations of the Uzbek side on this issue. According to the latest agreement, this is the quota set,” said Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabi’ah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia.

The conference reported that the number of visitors from Uzbekistan to Saudi Arabia increased by almost 100 times from 2020 to 2024. In 2024, the number of visitors from Uzbekistan is expected to approach half a million.

"This year, we will welcome 15,000 Uzbek guests. We strive to provide all the services and amenities to make their trip unforgettable," he said.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, by its "Vision 2030" strategy, intends to implement several reforms in the field of Hajj and Umrah by 2030. It plans to create several facilities for Umrah pilgrims, including for Uzbek pilgrims.

“I would also like to emphasize that one of the programs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 2030 is aimed at facilitating entry into the Kingdom. Therefore, you can see that entry into the Kingdom has become even easier. The number of flights has increased significantly. The number of airports has increased. The number of vehicles has increased. All of this makes entry into the Kingdom easier. We have also expanded our experience. We have worked on developing many historical sites. Makkah and Madinah are the most important historical sites in the world. Because the message of our Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent to these cities. The Messenger of Allah has a long history in these two cities. Therefore, we have developed 15 historical sites, and now we have 25 historical sites. Alhamdulillah, we see positive developments in the future,” the minister said.

There are also visa requirements for traveling to Saudi Arabia and visiting the holy sites, which sometimes create difficulties for pilgrims. Does the Kingdom intend to ease visa requirements shortly?

“There are a lot of innovations in the visa regime. Currently, there are many conveniences for citizens of Uzbekistan, for example, the availability of an electronic visa. Any citizen of Uzbekistan can apply for an electronic tourist visa before traveling or upon arrival. However, we always recommend applying before traveling. This used to require a lot of hassle. We also opened a 100-day visa center in Tashkent, where you can apply for a 100-day visa. We also worked with airlines. The airline will increase the number of flights from 8 to 12 per week. Saudi Airlines will also increase the number of flights in the second half of this year and add another 30,000 seats. All these procedures will facilitate the use of the best services for the citizens of Uzbekistan,” said Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabi’a.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia received 18 million pilgrims in 2024. In 2023, the number was 13.5 million. Have you ever thought about how much profit the kingdom will make from so many pilgrims?

“First of all, we do not organize the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage to earn money. We do not earn money from this. On the contrary, we spend money to provide quality services to guests. In short, we do not take, we give,” said the ministry official.

We would like to remind you that earlier we reported that Uzbekistan took 10th place in the world ranking of pilgrims visiting Saudi Arabia.