Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 20 Sep 2026, 10:23 AM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia is deploying smart sensors linked to Nusuk cards in Mina for the first time during Hajj 2026, using real-time data to manage crowd flows and prevent dangerous bottlenecks.
The Makkah Route Initiative uses smart baggage coding to deliver pilgrim luggage directly to hotels, while Saudi staff at departure airports complete immigration before flights take off.
Saudi Arabia reversed its brief Hajj 2026 age restriction within hours. The minimum age remains 12 years old, and visas rejected under the short-lived 15-year rule will be reprocessed.
The Haramain High-Speed Railway carried 2 million passengers in Q1 2026 as Saudi Arabia scales up rail operations for Hajj season, offering pilgrims a 2-hour journey between Makkah and Madinah.
Saudi Arabia requires meningococcal ACWY vaccination, medical fitness certificates, and bars pilgrims with major organ failure or severe chronic conditions from Hajj 2026.
Claims that Saudi Arabia banned photography inside Masjid al-Haram and Masjid an-Nabawi for Hajj 2026 are false. No official directive has been issued and existing photography etiquette rules remain unchanged.
Businesses in Makkah, Madinah expecting 40% losses from Umrah pilgrimage ban Arab News