Source: The Houston Chronicle

On March 3, 2001, The Houston Chronicle reported that "getting to Saudi Arabia for hajj is not as easy as hopping a plane. It requires planning - on the part of Muslim pilgrims and the Saudi government... With 1.3 million pilgrims from outside the country joining nearly 1 million Saudi citizens, organization is key...The Saudi government issued 10,876 visas to American residents for the 2000 pilgrimage, up from 5,339 in 1996," including 619 visas last year to Houston residents, compared to 195 in 1996.