42,000 apply for Haj

MUSCAT, OCT 22

Around 42,000 applicants have registered online for Haj 2026, which will begin at the end of June but only 14,000 people would be selected for the same, according to the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs (MoARA).

Speaking to the Observer on the sidelines of the Haj and Umrah Exhibition at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, Ahmed bin Saleh al Rashdi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, said, “We received 42,000 applicants this year against 39,000 last year and this has been on the rise since the last few years. These figures are significant because they indicate the trust that the people reposed on the ministry and secondly, the facilities and personal attention that the ministry is providing for Haj pilgrims.”

The exhibition, organised by the MoARA, features government agencies, Haj and Umrah companies, besides other commercial outlets that provide goods and services for the pilgrims.

The exhibition was launched by Eng Said bin Hamoud al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology.

The aim is to highlight the partnerships between all Haj and Umrah partners by bringing them together on a single platform. It also aims to provide and enhance opportunities for competition between service providers. It also aims to encourage creativity and innovation, provide quality services to pilgrims, facilitate the means of presenting services to pilgrims, assist them in making the most appropriate choices, and enhance the wealth of knowledge, history, documentation, science, culture, and Islamic law through quality and diverse programmes that accompany the exhibition.

“We, at the ministry, have been working through its online system for registering pilgrims to develop the Haj and Umrah system to achieve quality and satisfaction. The online system won the "Laytim Excellence" award from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the best digital service among 76 countries.

The exhibition is accompanied by the "Nusuk" activities, in its eleventh edition, which presents the rituals in an interactive manner using virtual reality, robotics and other technologies.