The Iran war is making the world’s largest annual religious gathering more expensive. This year, fewer flights across the Gulf and disrupted supply routes are driving up prices ahead of Hajj, the pilgrimage which begins with its main rituals in Mecca next week. Travel package prices were hiked “three or four times before departure,” said Anas Hafiz, a Jeddah-based travel agent who has worked on Hajj trips for more than three decades.
Around 1.6 million Muslims performed the pilgrimage last year, with Indonesia, Pakistan, and India sending the largest contingents. Governments help organize and subsidize the journey, and some are absorbing the higher costs: Indonesia covered $107 million in additional airline expenses to shield its 221,000 pilgrims from price hikes; Pakistan and Malaysia also stepped in with subsidies. India added a $100 surcharge, citing higher aviation fuel costs.
Religious tourism is central to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, with the kingdom investing heavily in airports, transport, and hospitality infrastructure tied to Hajj and Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage performed throughout the year.