King Salman’s Umrah program begins with 250 of 1,000 royal guests, what’s next?

the intending Umrah pilgrims will travel under King Salman’s special guest program to perform Umrah and visit the holy sites as King Salman approved the hosting of 250 Umrah pilgrims from 16 countries as royal guests as part of a larger group of 1,000 guests.

The group of 1,000 guests will perform Umrah at the King’s personal expense. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques approved the hosting of 1,000 male and female Umrah pilgrims from different parts of the world through the Guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for Hajj, Umrah, and Visit.

Also read: 1,000 Umrah pilgrims to become royal guests of King Salman - Are you eligible?

The program will be managed by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance.

The first group includes 250 Umrah pilgrims from 16 Asian countries. These countries are Indonesia, East Timor, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Singapore, China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mongolia.

The ministry said the program will be carried out in four phases during the 1448 AH year. More pilgrims from different regions are expected to join the remaining phases.

Also read: King Salman’s 1,000 Umrah Guests: Full List of Participating Countries

Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance and General Supervisor of the program Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Sheikh thanked King Salman and the Crown Prince for their continued support. He said their efforts help Muslims from around the world perform Umrah and visit the holy sites with comfort, ease and peace of mind.

Al-Sheikh added that the initiative reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to serving Islam and Muslims. He said it also strengthens ties among Muslim communities and supports communication with scholars, clerics and influential figures across the Islamic world.

The special hosting program has become one of the Kingdom’s important religious initiatives. It gives Muslims from different countries an opportunity to perform Umrah while promoting unity and closer relations among Muslim nations.

This initiative highlights Saudi Arabia’s continued focus on serving Muslim visitors from around the world. It also strengthens the Kingdom’s religious outreach and builds stronger connections with Muslim communities through hospitality and cooperation.