Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 20 Sep 2026, 10:23 AM (Saudi time)
Saudia has launched Hajj 2026 operations with 160 aircraft and over one million seats spanning 145 global destinations, as part of Saudi Arabia's total air transport plan of 3.1 million seats across 12,000 flights.
Saudi Arabia has imposed fines of up to SAR 100,000 for facilitating unauthorised Hajj and up to SAR 20,000 for pilgrims performing Hajj without a permit, alongside 10-year re-entry bans for violators.
Third Batch of Custodian of Two Holy Mosques' Guests Program for Umrah and Visit Arrives in Makkah وكالة الأنباء السعودية
Makkah Entry Permit 2026 Explained: Who Needs It, Who Is Exempt, and How to Avoid Being Turned Back Wego Travel Blog
Bus crash near Makkah kills 2 Egyptian Umrah pilgrims, injures 25 Muslim Network TV
Strict security in Makkah targets Hajj violations Arab News
Taraneh Rahimi was told prison guards would rape her sister, Romina, if she did not sign a confessionThe twins were 19 and still in high school when they were taken from their beds in the dead of night by masked men later identified as being sent by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Saudi Arabia Records 15.2 Million Umrah Pilgrims in First Quarter of 2026 Nomad Lawyer