250 African Umrah Guests Arrive in Makkah

A group of 250 male and female Umrah performers from 23 African countries has arrived in Makkah as the third group of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Umrah and Visit Program for the year 1448 AH (2026). The guests reached the holy city after spending several days in Madinah, where they took part in a structured religious and cultural itinerary.

The 23 countries represented in this group are Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Senegal, Guinea (Conakry), Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Niger, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Chad, Tanzania, Djibouti, South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Angola, and Mali. The program is implemented and supervised by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance.

King Salman approved hosting 1,000 Umrah performers from around the world at his personal expense this year, divided into four groups of 250 guests each. For these African guests, the program covers travel, accommodation, transport, and service arrangements at the King's expense, meaning they do not pay the standard Umrah visa fees, service package charges, or government e-channel fees that apply to ordinary individual pilgrims.

In Madinah, the guests visited Islamic and heritage landmarks including Uhud Martyrs Cemetery, Mount Al-Rumah, Quba Mosque, and the King Fahd Qur'an Printing Complex. Their schedule also included religious lectures, meetings, and guided tours before they moved on to Makkah to perform Umrah with integrated transport and hospitality services.

Why it matters

The program reflects the Kingdom's ongoing role in serving pilgrims from diverse nations. Participation is by nomination and official invitation, and cannot be obtained through self-application on public e-platforms. Each hosted group's stay is limited to the period of its organized visit and Umrah rites, after which the guests depart.

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