Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 18 Jun 2026, 7:06 PM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia reversed its brief Hajj 2026 age restriction within hours. The minimum age remains 12 years old, and visas rejected under the short-lived 15-year rule will be reprocessed.
The Haramain High-Speed Railway carried 2 million passengers in Q1 2026 as Saudi Arabia scales up rail operations for Hajj season, offering pilgrims a 2-hour journey between Makkah and Madinah.
Saudi Arabia requires meningococcal ACWY vaccination, medical fitness certificates, and bars pilgrims with major organ failure or severe chronic conditions from Hajj 2026.
Claims that Saudi Arabia banned photography inside Masjid al-Haram and Masjid an-Nabawi for Hajj 2026 are false. No official directive has been issued and existing photography etiquette rules remain unchanged.
Saudi Arabia has introduced a minimum age of 15 for all Hajj 2026 pilgrims, effective May 3. Full refunds are assured for affected bookings.
A spiritual guide to maintaining the transformation of Hajj after returning home: seven daily habits (prayer, Quran, charity, righteous company, abandoning sins, istighfar), signs of an accepted Hajj, and the Prophetic duas for the returning pilgrim.
Muslims begin the annual Hajj in sweltering heat against a backdrop of war concerns AP News
Muslim pilgrims flock to Mecca to perform hajj rites The Arab Weekly
With ice cream and giant fans, hajj pilgrims battle searing heat Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)
Saudi Arabia Sets May 31 Umrah Visa Resumption, Official 2026‑27 Pilgrimage Calendar Launched Travel And Tour World
Hajj 2026: Nigerian pilgrims move to Mina Daily Trust
Ghanaian pilgrims move to Mina for main Hajj rites Modern Ghana