Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 26 Jul 2026, 11:37 AM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia has rolled out new safety regulations for the 1448 AH Umrah season, including color-coded digital crowd boards, marked pedestrian paths, prohibited-conduct rules, and designated prayer areas for elderly pilgrims.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah says 931,500 pilgrims arrived on Umrah visas at the start of the 1448 season, a 22.5 percent rise, with Pakistan, Indonesia and Iraq leading source countries.
Saudi meteorologists confirm the Hajj has begun shifting out of peak summer heat into milder spring and winter seasons, a change expected to last until around 2050.
Saudi Arabia is enforcing stricter licensing rules for Umrah operators and suspending companies that breach service standards, part of a drive to protect pilgrims.
Saudi Arabia has set stricter health and fitness requirements for pilgrims, barring serious uncontrolled conditions and mandating vaccination and physical capability.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has introduced a one-year, multiple-entry Umrah visa allowing pilgrims to enter the Kingdom several times with a cumulative stay of up to 90 days, booked through the Nusuk platform.
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