Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 18 Jun 2026, 12:05 PM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia's Makkah Route Initiative concluded its 1447 AH operations after pre-clearing 388,694 pilgrims on 1,227 flights from 17 ports across 10 countries, with Senegal and Brunei joining for the first time.
The Haj Committee of India has begun the preliminary phase for Hajj 2027, advising pilgrims to ready passports valid until at least December 31, 2027 after receiving Saudi preparation documents.
Saudi Arabia has discontinued the budget Package D and restructured Hajj 2027 services into three regulated tiers, introducing a mandatory integrated package and compulsory training for Hajj personnel.
Saudi Arabia deployed its largest-ever cooling and shading infrastructure for the 1447 Hajj, one of the last summer pilgrimages before the calendar shifts the season into cooler months from 2027.
Saudi Arabia announced designated Rawdah visiting times at the Prophet's Mosque, with men and women given separate windows and access booked through the Nusuk app.
Saudi Arabia's official Nusuk pilgrimage app has passed 51 million users across more than 190 countries, consolidating over 130 services for Hajj and Umrah travellers.
Al-Mashair Metro launches first journeys for Hajj Saudi Gazette
12 Turkish and Yemeni nationals arrested for entering Makkah illegally Saudi Gazette
As millions of Muslims gather in Mecca, Palestinians in Gaza face a third year of heartbreak as Israel has shut border.
Security Patrols in Makkah Arrest Four Residents for Promoting Fraudulent Hajj Services وكالة الأنباء السعودية
Pilgrims from the West head to Hajj despite Mideast war The Peninsula Qatar
Death of Elderly Pilgrim with Dementia Sparks Concern on Hajj Oversight Tempo.co English