South Africa and Saudi Arabia move to strengthen Hajj, Umrah and tourism ties
By Naushad Khan
South Africa and Saudi Arabia are set to strengthen cooperation around Hajj and Umrah travel, while exploring opportunities to grow tourism between the two countries.
The development follows a meeting between Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, H.E. Dr Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, during his official visit to South Africa on 9 September.
The discussions focused on improving the experience of South African pilgrims and Umrah visitors, including better coordination with tour operators, the transition to digital services and practical measures to make travel to the Kingdom more accessible.
The two ministers agreed to establish a joint working group to follow up on recommendations arising from the meetings. They also agreed to encourage airlines in both countries to explore increased flight frequencies between South Africa and Saudi Arabia, which could benefit pilgrims, Umrah visitors and other travellers.
According to Al-Rabiah, around 56,000 South Africans travelled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah last year, representing an increase of about 10% from the previous year.
The tourism relationship is also moving in the opposite direction. Arrivals from Saudi Arabia to South Africa increased from 5,461 in 2021 to 24,942 in 2025, highlighting growing interest in South Africa as a destination.
The countries will also explore wider cooperation in destination promotion, skills development and the promotion of South Africa’s Islamic heritage and halaal tourism offering.
De Lille said South African Tourism would develop seasonal tourism packages aimed at attracting more Saudi visitors, with the broader objective of increasing two-way travel and strengthening the tourism economies of both countries.
The engagement builds on the longstanding connection created by thousands of South African Muslims travelling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj and Umrah each year, while opening the door to a broader tourism relationship between the two countries.
