Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 25 Jul 2026, 6:53 PM (Saudi time)
The Grand Mosque authority has expanded services for elderly and disabled pilgrims, adding dedicated routes, free electric carts, multilingual guidance and mobile barber units for the exit from ihram.
Saudi authorities have launched a free QR-based service showing live crowd levels in the Grand Mosque's Mataf and Masa'a areas, helping pilgrims choose quieter routes for Tawaf and Sa'i.
A planned 518-room ibis hotel in Makkah's Al Maabdah district will add economy accommodation about three kilometres from the Grand Mosque as the Kingdom expands capacity for year-round Umrah demand.
As summer Umrah arrivals climb, Makkah's Grand Mosque relies on a 155,000-ton cooling system, 400-plus misting stations and heat-reflective roads to protect pilgrims from extreme heat.
Saudi Arabia's Heritage Commission has uncovered more than 1,700 artefacts at Miqat Al Juhfah, a historic Hajj station and miqat, offering new insight into early Islamic pilgrimage routes.
The Third Saudi Expansion of the Grand Mosque has raised capacity to around 1.85 million worshippers, with work continuing toward more than two million.
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