Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 14 Sep 2026, 10:34 AM (Saudi time)
After years of extreme summer heat, the Hajj is set to move gradually into cooler months from 2027 as the Islamic lunar calendar shifts, even as Saudi Arabia expands record cooling and shading infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism has revised four regulations covering travel services, tourist guides, hospitality facilities and private hospitality units, with implications for pilgrims booking accommodation and services.
Officials say digital tools have cut pilgrim waiting times at the Grand Mosque from about two hours to roughly nine minutes, part of a drive to make the site one of the world's smartest by 2030.
Egyptian tourism authorities have warned prospective Hajj pilgrims against unlicensed brokers and fake social media offers as official procedures for the 2027 season get under way, urging bookings only through licensed companies.
Official statistics show 15,233,767 pilgrims performed Umrah in the first quarter of 2026, with air travel carrying most international arrivals, as Saudi Arabia manages the 1448 AH season calendar.
Saudi Arabia's Heritage Commission has discovered a granite-built mosque dating to the first century of the Islamic calendar at Al Maallamah in Baha, alongside artefacts illuminating early Islamic life.
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