ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - All pilgrims from the Kurdistan Region visiting Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage this month have safely arrived, with the final batch of travelers arriving over the weekend, an official from the Region’s religious affairs ministry confirmed to The New Region on Saturday.

A total of 5,136 pilgrims from the Kurdistan Region have visited Saudi Arabia this year. Of this number, 1,646 of them visited the neighboring country in buses, said Sheikh Niyaz Naqishbandi, head of the Kurdistan Region’s Hajj and Umrah office.

“All the pilgrims have arrived in Mecca. They have all been provided with necessary services,” Naqishbandi said.

He went on to say, “All the pilgrims are safe, and no undesirable incident has happened. They will, in the coming days, embark on the Hajj.”

Last year, 4,685 people from the Kurdistan Region traveled through the official government process, while over 15,000 people traveled on tourism visas to Saudi Arabia.

Thirteen pilgrims from the Kurdistan Region died while performing the Hajj pilgrimage last year, with over half of the victims not possessing official pilgrimage permits. The scorching heat emerged as the primary factor contributing to these fatalities.

Hajj is a pilgrimage to the sacred Saudi city of Mecca made by Muslims, where participants perform rituals over multiple days to cleanse their souls and strengthen their faith. It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.