Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 18 Jun 2026, 2:20 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.
Saudi Arabia Hajj Journal-News.com
Photos of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca Beloit Daily News
Photos of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca McAlester News-Capital
Photos of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca AP News
Saudi Arabia warns pilgrims of extreme heat ahead of 2026 Hajj MSN
Over 2,000 international journalists, delegates visit Hajj Media Hub in Makkah | Associated Press Of Pakistan