Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 28 Jul 2026, 6:06 PM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia's Nusuk app now offers offline 'zero-data' access to permits, maps and emergency contacts for the 1448 AH Umrah season, alongside multilingual support and crowd-management alerts.
The Haj Committee of India has advised pilgrims to ready their passports as Hajj 2027 registration is expected to open soon, following Saudi Arabia's release of the Hajj 1448 AH Preparation Document.
Umrah is set to resume on June 11, 2026 after the post-Hajj maintenance window, with visa applications reopening around June 10 and the 1448 AH season running through early April 2027.
Madinah has prepared more than 19,000 square meters of pedestrian walkways and an integrated guidance system to serve the flow of pilgrims arriving after Hajj 2026.
The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites awarded six development sites worth SAR13.3 billion across 2.7 million square meters, part of a long-term push to upgrade neighborhoods near the Grand Mosque.
The Prophet's Mosque Library in Madinah has opened to post-Hajj pilgrims, offering access to about 4,000 original manuscripts and more than 250 rare handwritten copies of the Qur'an.
Saudi Arabia: Hajj visa restricted to Jeddah, Medina, and Mecca; no work or residency permitted Gulf News