Thousands of Hajj pilgrims started performing the ritual of Tawaf Al-Qudum on Thursday evening

Thousands of travellers began the annual Hajj trip on Thursday night by completing the Tawaf Al-Qudum (Tawaf of Arrival) ceremony. On Friday, the Day of Tarwiyah, thousands of pilgrims moved into Mina to begin the trek. 

While those pilgrims who had already arrived in Makkah were busy finishing up preparations before entering the tent city on Thursday night, those who arrived in Makkah on Thursday performed Tawaf Al-Qudoom, one of the required Hajj rituals, before making their way to the enormous, sprawling tent city of Mina.

Together with the relevant authorities, the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques is working nonstop to maximise resources and open all doors and passageways that lead to the mataf, or the area where pilgrims circumambulate the Holy Kaaba, so that they can carry out their rituals with the utmost ease and comfort.

The mataf can hold up to 108,000 worshippers in an hour over all of its floors, including the courtyard, ground and first floors, mezzanine levels and the second rooftop level. 203,000 worshippers can be accommodated on all the floors of the Grand Mosque by the mataf in an hour.