Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 14 Sep 2026, 10:34 AM (Saudi time)
Officials say digital tools have cut pilgrim waiting times at the Grand Mosque from about two hours to roughly nine minutes, part of a drive to make the site one of the world's smartest by 2030.
Digital systems have cut pilgrim waiting times at Makkah's Grand Mosque from about two hours to nine minutes, part of a drive to make it one of the world's smartest sites by 2030.
Saudi Arabia's National Center for Meteorology has warned of heavy rain, flash floods and hail across the Makkah region and lighter rain in Madinah, prompting Civil Defense safety advisories for pilgrims during the early Umrah season.
A fire at a hotel in Makkah's Jabal Omar district near the Grand Mosque was brought under control on September 8, 2026, with no injuries or casualties reported.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has approved the daily opening of women's prayer halls for all five prayers in every mosque across Madinah, a change that helps women pilgrims pray on time.
Saudi Arabia is expanding digital systems at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, aiming to make it one of the world's smartest sites by 2030, with smart mobility, digital iftar management, the Rafed platform and interactive mapping.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms hit Mecca creating dramatic scenes as worshippers prayed at the Grand Mosque.
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