Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 14 Sep 2026, 10:34 AM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia has completed a full cloud migration of its Hajj and Umrah Data Center, which serves more than 20 million pilgrims a year and powers the Nusuk platform, the Electronic Hajj and Umrah Portal and over 500 digital services.
Saudi Arabia has ordered 20 new Talgo high-speed trains for the Haramain railway, expanding the fleet to 55 units and boosting pilgrim transport capacity between Makkah and Madinah, with delivery from 2028 to 2031.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Islamic Affairs has launched a digital 'new Muslim' card, integrated with the Tawakkalna app and verified by QR code, to automate the process of declaring Islam and support the Kingdom's wider pilgrim-services ecosystem.
Saudi Arabia's passport authority now lets eligible single and multiple-entry visit visas be extended online through Absher, without visiting a Jawazat office.
Saudi Arabia's Cabinet has approved a unified national visa platform that brings Hajj, Umrah, tourist and other visas under one official digital system managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Saudi Arabia has introduced a Tourist Package Visa that combines the entry permit with flights, accommodation and trip planning in a single booking, with Umrah permitted outside the Hajj season.