Boma Achenimie 
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday revealed that nearly one million foreign pilgrims had arrived for the 2024 Hajj season.
This was contained in a press statement sighted by New Telegraph on Saudi Gazette, saying that by the end of Sunday, a total of 935,966 pilgrims arrived through all the kingdom’s air, land and seaports.
Over two million individuals are expected to participate in the annual pilgrimage in Makkah, with 65,000 pilgrims from Nigeria.
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The National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) has already transported 40,696 Nigerian pilgrims on 96 flights.
The General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) mentioned that the majority of pilgrims arrived by air, totalling 896,287, while 37,280 came through land entry points, and 2,399 arrived via seaports.
The directorate is working diligently to streamline entry procedures for pilgrims by utilizing online platforms at international ports, equipped with the latest technology and operated by qualified Saudi personnel proficient in various languages.
Additionally, the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, has launched the Nusuk Wallet, the world’s first international digital wallet designed to assist Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.
This digital wallet, developed in collaboration with the Saudi National Bank (SNB AlAhli), enables pilgrims to manage their finances and expenses, supported by SNB AlAhli’s banking infrastructure under its NEO brand.
“Nusuk Wallet uses the latest emerging technologies and encryption techniques to ensure the highest security standards for users’ financial transactions,” it stated.
The ministry’s director of digital experience, Ahmed Al-Maiman, stated that up to six accomplishments have been achieved locally and internationally since the introduction of the digital wallet.
“It is the first digital wallet and international bank card in the world, allowing Hajj and Umrah pilgrims to manage their money during the period of their stay in the holy cities for performing rituals. Following this move, we have become closer to achieving our goal of developing a successful super-app that meets pilgrim’s needs,” he said.
