Excitement Peaks: 2026 Hajj Lottery To Be Drawn Tomorrow, 1.8 Million Candidates Await
Weighted System Continues: 84,942 Principal Pilgrims To Be Determined In Notarized Draw
ANKARA, Turkey – The aspiration of millions of Muslims to travel to the holy lands will potentially turn into reality tomorrow (Tuesday, November 11, 2025) with the drawing of the 2026 Hajj Lottery. Organized by the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), the draw is highly anticipated due to the massive volume of applications.
According to information obtained from the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah Services, the much-awaited draw will be held tomorrow at 10:30 AM in the Diyanet Affairs Conference Hall, overseen by a public notary.
📝 LOTTERY DETAILS AND APPLICATION VOLUME
The total number of candidates participating in the draw highlights the sheer scale of interest:
- Total Candidates: A total of 1,799,835 Hajj candidates will participate in this year’s lottery, once again demonstrating the high desire for pilgrimage in Turkey.
- Applicant Groups: Of the total, 184,791 candidates are first-time applicants, while the remaining 1,615,044 are experienced applicants who updated their registration from previous years.
- Quota To Be Determined: The draw will select 84,942 principal Hajj candidates and their reserves.
🔢 THE SECRET OF THE 15-YEAR WEIGHTED SYSTEM
Due to the high application density and the quota limit set by Saudi Arabia, the weighted system—which has been in place for the last 15 years—will be applied in the 2026 Hajj Lottery draw. The main purpose of this system is to prioritize candidates who have been waiting longer:
- System Mechanism: Under the weighted system, the number of times a candidate’s name is entered into the draw is determined by the number of years they have waited since their initial pre-registration.
- Example Calculation: For instance, a Hajj candidate who submitted their pre-registration application 11 years ago will have their name multiplied by the number of years waited (11), resulting in 121 entries in the draw. This mechanism significantly increases the odds for long-waiting applicants.
🇸🇦 ADDITIONAL QUOTA AND DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS
Increasing Turkey’s total Hajj quota remains on the agenda due to the overwhelming number of applicants.
- Additional Quota Decision: The final decision regarding Turkey’s request for an additional Hajj quota will be formalized through an official protocol to be signed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 9, 2025. Therefore, there is a chance that an extra quota may be added to the initial 84,942 capacity.
The 2026 Hajj Lottery draw marks one of the year’s most significant religious events, eagerly awaited by millions.
