MAKKAH: The Saudi General Authority for Statistics (GAS) has estimated that a total of 23.9 million persons performed Haj during the last ten years, including 1.86 million this year, which witnessed the lowest number in a decade, whereas figures in 2013 were the highest with 3.1 pilgrims having taken part in the rituals.

According to the GAS report, 537,000 domestic pilgrims, including Saudi citizens and residents, or 29 percent of Hajis, performed Haj this year; while arrivals from abroad were estimated at 1.3 million— 90,000 pilgrims less than last year.

Furthermore, the number of foreign pilgrims who arrived by air amounted to 1.2 million, making up 94 percent of foreign Hajis, and 70 percent of overall Hajis.

Meanwhile, 66,000 pilgrims entered KSA by land, including 12,700 arrivals via Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP), the statistics showed.

Of 89,000 domestic, non-Saudi Hajis this year, Egyptians came first with 35,000 resident pilgrims, or 39 percent, followed by Pakistanis (15,000, or 16 percent).

Iranian pilgrims were classified under “other nationalities,” as Iran banned its citizens from taking part in this year’s Haj.

The GAS figures indicated that the domestic Hajis entered Makkah by 29,200 vehicles, including 14,100 cars, 3,600 buses, and 3,100 minibuses, which marked a 2.2 percent drop compared to last year.

Most of the vehicles arrived in Makkah on Dhul-Hijjah 7 and 8, as the figures on these two days were estimated at 12,200 and 8,200 respectively.