Federal officials have told NBC News that Omar Mateen went to Saudi Arabia in 2011 and 2012. The officials were not able to make any distinction on what he was doing there.
However, a spokesman for Saudi Arabia's Ministry of the Interior told NBC News that Mateen visited to perform the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca known as Umrah.
A spokesman for Saudi Arabia's Interior tels @NBCNews Mateen performed Umrah (the lesser pilgrimage) twice, in 2011, 2012 #Orlando
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) June 13, 2016
As Muslims from around the world travel to Mecca in their so-called pilgrimage, they gather by the thousands around the religious birthplace of Muhammad and circle the mosque seven times.
