Some 2.35 million individuals, including 1.75 million foreigners, travelled to Mecca to perform the annual hajj pilgrimage this year, according to data released by Saudi Arabia’s General Statistics Authority.

This marks a 26 per cent increase in the number of hajj pilgrims compared to the previous year.

Last year, the number of pilgrims decreased by 4.6 per cent as a result of a major diplomatic row between Iran and Saudi Arabia as well as of the regional economic and political uncertainty, which restricted foreign travel.

Over the past 10 year-period, the number of pilgrims peaked in 2012, when it reached over 3.16 million.

An estimated 31,569 vehicles carrying over 229,000 domestic pilgrims arrived in Mecca, utilising the old and new Jeddah to Mecca roads as well as the roads linking the city to Taif, Medina and the kingdom’s southern region.

An estimated 94 per cent of the foreign pilgrims arrived using air transport, while the rest travelled to Mecca by land or sea transport.

The hajj terminal at Jeddah airport and the Medina airport primarily cater to arriving and departing pilgrims.

The expansion of the Jeddah airport is expected to be completed before the end of 2017 and enter full operations by mid-2018.