Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 17 Sep 2026, 10:12 AM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia's 2027 Hajj timeline requires 1.5 doctors and 1.7 nurses per 1,000 pilgrims, mandatory Nusuk contracting with e-wallet payments, and operations through a single service provider.
Pilgrims from around 66 eligible countries can apply directly for an Umrah visa through Nusuk, while travellers elsewhere must use a licensed agent, with hotel booking now required before applying.
Saudi health authorities say the 2026 Hajj concluded with no epidemiological outbreaks and no major crowd accidents, crediting heat mitigation, AI-guided pathways, and a large medical deployment.
Saudi Arabia has restructured Hajj 2027 service packages into three tiers, scrapping the long-standing Package D and tying accommodation, transport, and catering into unified contracts.
A pure gold plaque that once crowned the gate of the Holy Kaaba more than three centuries ago is now on display at the Exhibition of the Two Holy Mosques Architecture in Makkah.
Saudi Arabia's Heritage Commission and the University of Exeter uncovered more than 1,700 artefacts at the historic Al Juhfah miqat, including kilns, a water channel and Umayyad and Abbasid-era tombstones.
MOI warns of SR100,000 fine for transporting visit visa holders to Makkah during Hajj season Saudi Gazette
Ministry sets up 32 children’s hospitality centers in Makkah and Madinah Arab News
Ramadan: Mecca, Madinah flooded with Umrah visitors The Business Standard
194,000 pilgrims in Madinah post-Hajj Arab News