Over 5,500 Maldivians fly to Saudi Arabia for umrah in July

Over 5,500 Maldivians traveled to Saudi Arabia for umrah pilgrimage in July.

In a post on X on Thursday, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) announced that over 5,565 umrah pilgrims departed safely via the Velana International Airport (VIA) this month.

Over 5,565 Umrah pilgrims departed safely through Velana International Airport this July. Thank you to all our teams and stakeholders for ensuring a smooth, efficient and seamless journey for every pilgrim. pic.twitter.com/sJWl1R8H7s

— Maldives Airports Company Ltd (@MACLmedia) July 23, 2026

“Thank you to all our teams and stakeholders for ensuring a smooth, efficient and seamless journey for every pilgrim,” added the company.

The high number of umrah pilgrims in July surpasses previous projections by the Islamic Ministry.

Islamic Minister Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed previously said that over 4,000 umrah pilgrims had flown to Saudi Arabia under the charge of 30 different tour groups.

The number disclosed by MACL on Thursday shows that more pilgrims than previously expected had flown out to Saudi Arabia to take part in the pilgrimage.

The high number of pilgrims in July is attributed to the school holidays as well as the Independence Day holidays this month.