Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 28 Jul 2026, 6:06 PM (Saudi time)
For the 1448 AH season, Saudi Arabia has cut Umrah entry visa validity to 30 days, made confirmed Nusuk bookings a condition of visa approval, and made all visa types eligible to perform Umrah.
A senior Indonesian lawmaker has warned that 2027 Hajj costs could rise due to higher taxes and prices in Saudi Arabia, as parliament reviews the budget to contain airfares and other expenses.
King Salman has begun hosting 1,000 Umrah pilgrims worldwide at his personal expense, with the first of four phases welcoming 250 pilgrims from 16 Asian countries under the royal guest program.
Nigeria's NAHCON has opened Hajj 2027 registration with a September 26, 2026 deadline and a minimum deposit of 4 million naira, as Saudi service agreements open on the Masar Nusuk platform from July 29.
Jadwa Investment aims to nearly double its real estate assets to SR50 billion and invest SR30 billion more in Makkah and Madinah, while Ladun launches a SR4 billion Makkah fund, as private capital chases Vision 2030 pilgrim growth.
India's Haj Policy 2027 introduces an AI assistant offering round-the-clock multilingual support, automated document checks and real-time grievance tracking, alongside a better inspector-to-pilgrim ratio.
Nine Buddhist monks were killed after a truck driven by an 11-year-old boy struck a pilgrimage procession in Thailand.
Biman wraps up 2026 post-Hajj operations Somoy News
Biman wraps up 2026 post-Hajj operations successfully Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)
Damage recorded in 30 locations across in the city from overnight attacks, with ‘most of them ordinary residential buildings’in DublinVolodymyr Zelenskyy has said he hopes not to wait too long for the results of an Irish government investigation into alumina exports to Russia thought to be feedi...
Bangladesh wraps up 2026 Hajj as 79,100 pilgrims return home The Financial Express
Hajj 2026 LIVE: Muslims Continue Pilgrimage In Saudi Arabia Nate Ament (YDyTMyozkq) Mshale