Over 1.8 million Muslims have flocked to Saudi Arabia to take part in the annual hajj pilgrimage, with stunning pictures showing huge crowds at Mecca’s Grand Mosque.
The Director General of Passports, Gen. Suleiman al-Yehya, said close to 970,000 male and 868,000 female pilgrims had arrived in the Middle Eastern country for the religious pilgrimage.
In total, more than 2 million people, including Saudis and expatriate residents of the kingdom, are expected to take part this year.
Muslims are required to perform the five-day hajj once in their lifetime if they can afford to, and it is meant to draw the faithful closer to God.
The Saudi government has spent billions of dollars to improve the safety of the pilgrimage in recent years, particularly in Mina where the deadliest incidents have occurred.
In 2015, more than 2,000 worshippers were killed during a stampede in Mina.
The widespread disaster is thought to be the deadliest day in the history of the pilgrimage.
