Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 14 Sep 2026, 10:34 AM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia has banned entry, including for Umrah pilgrims, from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan over an Ebola outbreak, with extra health screening for travellers from four nearby countries.
Saudi Arabia has expanded the Saudi Visa Bio app, letting Umrah pilgrims register fingerprints and facial data from their smartphones and removing the need to visit visa centers in supported countries.
King Salman has approved hosting 1,000 Umrah pilgrims from 66 countries as royal guests at his personal expense, beginning with 250 pilgrims from 16 Asian nations in the first of four phases during 1448 AH.
Saudi Arabia has confirmed the 1448 AH Umrah season calendar, setting March 9, 2027 as the final date for visa issuance, March 23 for pilgrim entry and April 7 for departure, alongside a reduced 30-day visa validity window.
The Nusuk platform has become mandatory for Umrah permits and now serves more than 51 million users worldwide, adding crowd alerts, offline access, and a smart pilgrim card.
As the 1448 Umrah season opens, pilgrims are reminded that Saudi Arabia requires a quadrivalent meningococcal vaccination certificate and may require polio or yellow fever proof, alongside practical health precautions for the crowded journey.
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