Indonesian pilgrims leave Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in this Oct. 11, 2013 file photo.

A total of 1.1 million Umrah visas have been issued until Friday, said a top official.

Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Albejaoa, director of the Haj Ministry’s branch in Madinah, said that 580,000 Umrah pilgrims have already arrived in Saudi Arabia.

Hotels in Madinah are currently witnessing 100 percent occupancy rates, he said.

The peak Umrah season is now under way. Indonesians top the list with the highest number of pilgrims, followed by Pakistanis, Turks, Egyptians, Iranians, Malaysians and Indians, he said.

He advised Saudi nationals and residents to plan for Umrah in advance.

The director said that 97 percent of Umrah pilgrims include Madinah in their schedule and that a new group of pilgrims enters the city only when the previous group leaves.

The Haj Ministry closely monitors the quality of services provided to Umrah pilgrims and ensures that they adhere to specifications.

Haj Minister Bandar Hajar recently attended a meeting at his office in Jeddah where he was briefed on operational plans to manage local pilgrims during the current year.

Husain Al-Sharif, undersecretary of Haj affairs, and a number of officials, took part in the talks.

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