Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 17 Sep 2026, 10:12 AM (Saudi time)
At the Indonesia-Saudi Arabia Partnership Forum 2026, Indonesian officials outlined plans to supply the global Hajj and Umrah food chain with halal agriculture, fisheries, livestock and processed goods.
Senegal's private Hajj operators have urged immediate planning for the 2027 pilgrimage, spelling out firm Saudi deadlines: fee payment by December 24, 2026, registration by January 28, 2027, and no visas after March 9, 2027.
Pakistan has allocated 40 percent of its Hajj quota to private operators for 2027 and set a 300 million rupee paid-up capital rule, as companies warn of uncertainty before an August 14 Saudi payment deadline.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has published its 1447 AH Hajj service provider evaluation, ranking foreign pilgrim companies into three performance tiers based on compliance and service quality.
Egypt's Ministry of Interior will accept applications for the 2027 Hajj lottery (Hajj al-Qura) from 12 to 27 August 2026, opening domestic registration for the 1448 AH season.
Saudi Public Security has reiterated that Hajj and Umrah companies face fines of up to SR100,000, rising with the number of cases, for failing to report pilgrims who overstay their permitted period.
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
Ministry of Hajj organizes ‘Khitamuhu Misk’ ceremony in Makkah Arab News
Singapore to get 900 slots for Haj 2027; pilgrims to undergo enhanced medical assessment The Straits Times
Transport minister highlights seamless Hajj travel as Makkah Route flights arrive Arab News