Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 13 Sep 2026, 11:08 AM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia welcomed more than 931,500 Umrah visa holders in the opening weeks of the 1448 AH season, a 22.5 percent rise on the same period last year, with Pakistan, Indonesia and Iraq sending the most pilgrims.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has partnered with travel platform Wego to launch a single digital service integrating flights, hotels, transport and Umrah visa requests.
Saudi Arabia has added zero-data offline access to the Nusuk app, letting pilgrims with a Saudi SIM use permits and in-mosque navigation without an internet connection, in cooperation with STC, Mobily and Zain.
Saudi authorities have confirmed fines of up to SR100,000 for Umrah firms that fail to report overstaying pilgrims, alongside SR50,000 fines, jail and deportation for individuals who overstay their visas.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has launched a multiple-entry Umrah visa valid for 365 days, letting pilgrims enter the Kingdom several times within a cumulative 90-day stay.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah reported a 22.5 percent rise in Umrah arrivals, with more than 1.27 million international pilgrims recorded so far this season.
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