Modern spin on umrah pilgrimages

Young Muslims are opting for these shorter, non-mandatory journeys, and including leisure activities in their itinerary

- Sarah Stanley

From June 4 to 9, millions of Muslims from around the world will converge in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the haj — one of the world's largest annual gatherings. In both 2023 and 2024, around 1.84 million pilgrims performed the haj, according to Saudi government data.

As one of the five pillars of Islam, the pilgrimage is a spiritual obligation for all Muslims who are physically and financially able to make the journey at least once in their lifetime.

With the global Muslim population estimated at more than 2.2 billion in 2024, based on websites aggregating Muslim population growth, demand for the haj remains high.

Some, such as Singaporeans Hanisah Rujana and her husband Mohamed Akbar, who registered for the haj in 2017, may have to wait close to three decades for their turn.

To manage the influx of haj pilgrims, the Saudi government allocates a quota based on each country's Muslim population and other considerations. Since 2022, Singapore has had an annual quota of 0.1 per cent of its Muslim population, or 900 pilgrims.

With more than 18,000 people ahead of them in the queue, Ms Hanisah and Mr Akbar have found spiritual solace through umrah — a shorter, non-mandatory pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia that can be performed at any time of the year, except during the haj.

Umrah can be completed in a few hours and is less logistically demanding than the haj, which takes five to six days.

"Umrah is a deeply personal religious event. The first time I experienced it, it was very emotionally moving and spiritually uplifting," says Ms Hanisah, 34, who has travelled for umrah with her husband in 2019, and annually between 2022 and 2025.

The couple are among a growing number of younger Muslims driving a shift in Singapore's religious travel market, several travel agents tell The Straits Times.