Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 17 Sep 2026, 10:12 AM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia has opened an early registration-of-interest process on the Nusuk Hajj platform for international pilgrims planning Hajj 2027, as ministry preparations with more than 75 countries get under way.
Saudi Arabia has clarified that the new 365-day multiple-entry Umrah visa still requires a fresh Nusuk service package and permit for every visit, with a pooled 90-day stay limit.
King Salman is hosting 1,000 Umrah performers at his own expense this year. The second group of 250 pilgrims from 23 European and Asian countries has completed Umrah and praised Saudi hospitality.
From August 14, 2026, catering became a compulsory part of Umrah packages for pilgrims from Egypt, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, turning meals from an optional extra into a contracted, monitored service.
Saudi Arabia's Nusuk app has added six new features, including a Tawaf and Sa'ee round tracker, live crowd levels, interactive mosque maps, a Qibla finder, in-app travel booking and an AI assistant.
Saudi Arabia will require Hajj affairs office personnel to complete a compulsory training programme before they can obtain the visas and permits needed to work during the 1448 AH Hajj season.
MOI warns of SR100,000 fine for transporting visit visa holders to Makkah during Hajj season Saudi Gazette
Ministry sets up 32 children’s hospitality centers in Makkah and Madinah Arab News
Ramadan: Mecca, Madinah flooded with Umrah visitors The Business Standard
194,000 pilgrims in Madinah post-Hajj Arab News