The total number of Haj pilgrims, from Saudi Arabia and abroad, has exceeded two million this year, Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Governor of Makkah and chairman of the Haj Central Committee, said.

Haj started yesterday (Aug 30) with the gathering of pilgrims at the tend of Mina on the outskirts of Makkah. The ascent of Mount Arafat, also near Makkah, will be today and Eid Al Adha will be celebrated tomorrow.

As many as 1,752,014 pilgrims from 168 foreign countries have arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform this year's Haj, official statistics said.

Licensed domestic pilgrims amounted to 126,092 citizens and 102,936 expatriates. As many as 1,564 pilgrims arrived from Qatar for this year, compared with 1,210 last year.

In a statement, the immigration department said that male foreign pilgrims totalled 940,369 (54 per cent of the total), while the number of females was 811,645, a Saudi Press Agency report said.

According to the report, 1,648,332 pilgrims from abroad came by air, 88,855 by land and 14,827 by sea.

Meanwhile, the General Presidency for the Grand Holy Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah have announced the success of the first phase of its plan for this year's Haj season.

The president of Al-Masjid Al-Haram and Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi Sheikh Dr Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Sudais appreciated the efforts being exerted by the presidency.

Prince Khalid said Saudi Arabia has recruited more than 300,000 civil and military personnel to serve pilgrims this year.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has instructed authorities to accommodate a 104-year-old Indonesian pilgrim Maryam Mirghani Mohammed and her two companions under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Guests Program.

She will be provided with full care, in line with the royal instruction.