Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 16 Sep 2026, 10:23 AM (Saudi time)
The 1448 Umrah season remains open into spring 2027, with visas issued until 9 March and entry until 23 March, offering pilgrims cooler weather after a summer of heat warnings, subject to Nusuk booking rules.
Saudi Arabia has published the full Hajj 1448 (2027) timetable, with service contracting under way now, pilgrim data uploads through January, visa issuance from 28 January 2027 and flights from 8 April 2027.
Saudi Arabia's National Center for Meteorology forecasts above-normal temperatures through October 2026, prompting heat-safety guidance for summer Umrah pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah.
More than 70 travel firms representing over three million pilgrims toured Makkah in a Ministry-backed effort to enrich international Umrah packages with cultural and historical experiences.
The second group of 250 pilgrims under King Salman's Guests Program has performed Umrah in Makkah, part of 1,000 worshippers from 23 countries hosted at the King's expense this year.
Madinah authorities have installed a new sign banning motorcycles from Quba Street, a main route to the historic Masjid Quba, as part of traffic control measures, requiring visitors to use alternative transport.
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