Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 18 May 2026, 5:56 PM (Saudi time)
Saudi Tourism Minister inspects Hajj 2026 facilities as 566,000 new beds are added to Makkah through a new temporary licensing system. New hospitality rules require all providers to obtain official approval.
A comprehensive accessibility guide for elderly and disabled pilgrims performing Hajj 2026: free wheelchairs, electric carts, proxy Hajj rulings, over-65 requirements, and practical tips for limited mobility.
A guide to Zamzam water for Hajj 2026: its 4,000-year history from Hajar's desperate search, where to find it in the Haram, how to take it home (5L bottle per pilgrim), the Sunnah of drinking it, and its geological uniqueness.
Over 50,000 international pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2026 from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, with the arrival phase continuing through May 21 across 12,000+ flights.
Iraqi pilgrims enter Saudi Arabia overland via Jadidat Arar, tracing the path of the ancient Darb Zubaydah - a 1,400 km Hajj route built over 1,000 years ago under Abbasid patronage and now a UNESCO tentative World Heritage Site.
A spiritual preparation guide for Hajj 2026 with four weeks to go: settle debts, write your will, increase worship, learn the rituals, purify your intention, and the final night dua before departure.
One Thousand Roads to Makkah: Four Women’s Stories | Book Review MuslimMatters.org
Pilgrims’ rush shoots up Umrah package prices Arab News
6 Britons die in road accident after performing Umrah Arab News
Saudi considers limiting hajj pilgrims amid coronavirus fears Middle East Monitor
This Pandemic Isn’t the First Time the Hajj Has Been Disrupted for Muslims Smithsonian Magazine
Saudi Arabia launches online service for Umrah visa refunds Gulf Business