Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, recently conducted an inspection tour of hospitality facilities designated for pilgrims in Makkah as part of the ongoing preparations for this year's Hajj.

During his visit on Monday, he assessed various services that will be provided to pilgrims and met with tourism sector employees participating in the ministry’s training programs, according to a report by the Saudi Press Agency.The Minister highlighted the significant enhancement made to the capacity of temporary accommodation within Makkah for the benefit of pilgrims.

Since the launch of a new temporary accommodation licensing service in October last year, over 566,000 additional beds have been integrated into the hospitality sector catering to pilgrim needs.Hajj, considered one of the five pillars of Islam, necessitates every Muslim who is physically and financially capable to perform this pilgrimage journey at least once.

This sacred ritual typically occurs in Makkah and Madinah, with the upcoming season scheduled from May 24 to 29.

Already, thousands of Muslims have begun arriving in Saudi Arabia in anticipation of the event.Last year's Hajj saw a total participation of 1,673,230 pilgrims, as recorded by the General Authority for Statistics.

Out of this figure, 166,654 were comprised of citizens and residents of the Kingdom, while the remainder hailed from outside its borders.