Kurdish pilgrim dies during Umrah in Saudi Arabia

ERBIL — A Kurdish pilgrim from Erbil, identified as Mahmoud Omar, died while performing Umrah in Saudi Arabia, his family confirmed to 964media on Saturday. He was 60 years old and had arrived in the kingdom several days ago.

Basit Ahmed, a relative of the deceased, told 964media that Omar collapsed at around 2:30 p.m. local time inside the Mecca sanctuary and lost consciousness. “He was taken to a hospital but passed away shortly after,” Ahmed said.

According to the family, Omar had a history of heart disease and diabetes. He was the father of seven children.

Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca that can be performed at any time of year, is distinct from the Hajj, which is obligatory for Muslims once in their lifetime and must be performed during specific dates.

Ahmed said the family had decided to bury Omar in Saudi Arabia.

According to the Kurdistan Region’s Hajj and Umrah Directorate, 14 Kurdish pilgrims died in Saudi Arabia during 2025. Omar is the second Kurdish pilgrim to die in the kingdom in the first two weeks of 2026.

The Kurdistan Region’s Hajj and Umrah Directorate previously published the list of names selected in the draw for the 2026 Hajj. The list includes 3,901 confirmed pilgrims and 1,950 alternates, for a total of 5,851 people. Of these, 113 seats were allocated to families of martyrs, with another 113 alternates named.

Saudi Arabia sets annual quotas based on each country’s Muslim population, typically allocating about 1,000 pilgrims per 1 million Muslims. Iraq’s quota in recent years has ranged between 34,000 and 40,000 pilgrims, divided among governorates, including the Kurdistan Region.