Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 13 Jun 2026, 12:11 PM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia will require all foreign personnel in external Hajj affairs offices to complete a compulsory training programme before receiving 2027 Hajj visas, alongside a new integrated service model and priority accommodation booking window.
The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites has awarded a SAR2 billion contract to develop the 235,000 square metre East Hindawiyah District near the Grand Mosque as a mixed-use urban hub.
Saudi Arabia has shortened the Umrah entry visa validity from three months to one month from the date of issuance, requiring pilgrims to plan travel more carefully for the 1448 AH season.
Saudi Arabia has begun early preparations for the 2027 Hajj, unveiling integrated service packages, a three-tier package structure that ends Package D, and mandatory training for Hajj office staff.
An exhibition in Makkah is displaying a rare wooden platform once used near the Black Stone to direct pilgrims during Tawaf, highlighting early crowd-management methods at the Grand Mosque.
Saudi Arabia's Makkah Route Initiative pre-cleared 388,694 pilgrims at 17 departure points in 10 countries during Hajj 2026, with Senegal and Brunei Darussalam joining the programme for the first time.
Over 550 Hajj Pilgrims die in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca due to blazing heat News On AIR
One-Third of Nigerian Pilgrims Sought Medical Care During Hajj — NAHCON Daily Trust
Saudi announces new Umrah calendar: Visa details, key dates revealed Gulf Business
Hajj 2026: 560 Nigerian pilgrims depart Saudi The Guardian Nigeria News
Over 21,000 Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims return home... Somoy News
Post-Hajj Operations: Return of Pilgrims underway as over 100,000 remain in Saudi Arabia The Nation (Pakistan )