Saudi bundles up Hajj services on one platform
Semafor ·
Some 1.7 million people made the trip in 2025, with spots rationed by country at roughly one per 1,000 Muslims.
Hajj, the once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage required by every able Muslim, is among the world’s largest annual gatherings. Moving those bodies has long involved layers of middlemen. Saudi Arabia is now squeezing some of them out.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has bundled the four services every pilgrim needs — holy site arrangements, lodging in Mecca and Medina, transport, and catering — into a single electronic agreement on one government platform. Some 1.7 million people made the trip in 2025, with spots rationed by country at roughly one per 1,000 Muslims. It’s a major expense for many pilgrims, paid with years of savings, won by lottery, or covered by charities. For the kingdom, it’s a source of pride and revenue: Religious tourism is on track to contribute 10% of GDP by 2030.