In an official statement issued on Friday, August 15, 2025, the Secretariat of the Holy Shrine confirmed that 21,103,524 pilgrims visited the holy city of Karbala to commemorate the Arbaeen of Imam Hussain (AS). The figure was recorded through an advanced electronic counting system powered by artificial intelligence, installed at the city’s main entrances and shrine gates.
The statement extended condolences to Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), the Islamic Ummah, and especially the people of Iraq, on the occasion of Arbaeen. It also prayed for the safety and return of pilgrims to their homelands.
The shrine underlined that, as in the past thirteen centuries, Karbala once again hosted millions of mourners of Imam Hussain (AS) and his noble brother, Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas (AS). It added that the holy shrines and affiliated institutions provided a wide range of services, including medical care, logistical support, and mourning programs, as part of their honor and duty during the pilgrimage.
According to officials, the AI-based counting system has been in use for ten consecutive years by the Communications and Information Security Department of the Holy Shrine of Hazrat al-Abbas (AS), while the Kafil Center for Information and Statistical Studies handled the analytical documentation of services provided in Karbala.
Based on the system’s data, the number of pilgrims entering Karbala from the first day of the month of Safar until 6:00 p.m. on the 20th of Safar reached 21,103,524. The five main entry routes monitored included Baghdad-Karbala, Baghdad-Jamalia, Najaf-Karbala, Babylon-Karbala, and Husseiniya-Karbala roads.
