Saudi Arabia sets target of 2.5m Umrah travelers for 2025

Saudi Arabia's Air Connectivity Program plans to set aside more than 700,000 airline seats for Umrah pilgrims through the first quarter of 2025 and 2.5 million seats by the end of next year. According to Arab News, this announcement was made by Majid Khan, chief executive of the program, while speaking at the Umrah and Ziyarah Forum in Madinah.

Khan said the program plans to expand to Europe, the Gulf, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Indonesia, with a Stuttgart–Jeddah service scheduled to start later this year. With Eurowings already flying from Berlin and Cologne to Jeddah, this would be the third direct Umrah flight from Germany.

Transavia plans to launch new Paris–Jeddah and Lyon–Jeddah routes with a daily London Gatwick–Madinah flight in August, adding roughly 180,000 seats.

Twelve airlines joined Saudi Arabia's Air Connectivity program earlier this year. Twenty new routes have brought a combined 1.5 million seats. Recent entrants include ITA, British Airways, Eurowings, Transavia, and Wizz Air.

The Umrah and Ziyarah Forum runs until 16 April at the King Salman International Convention Center. The event is organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Pilgrim Experience Program.

More than 150 exhibitors from over 100 countries are taking part. The forum offers 50 workshops and sessions on accommodation, artificial intelligence, social‑media outreach, and Madinah's heritage. An accompanying exhibition showcases government projects to upgrade infrastructure, transport, and hospitality in the holy cities.