Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 18 Jun 2026, 12:05 PM (Saudi time)
Pilgrims travelling for the new Umrah season must show proof of quadrivalent meningococcal vaccination given at least 10 days before arrival, with seasonal flu vaccination and other precautions also advised.
Saudi Arabia has set June 30, 2026 as the opening date for Hajj 2027 accommodation reservations and will require Hajj office staff to complete mandatory training before receiving visas, alongside a new three-tier integrated package system.
The authority overseeing the Two Holy Mosques has opened five free luggage storage centers, four at the Grand Mosque and one at the Prophet's Mosque, accepting items up to 7 kilograms for up to four hours.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health has warned pilgrims not to share razors or blades during the head-shaving rite of tahallul, cautioning that reused tools can transmit hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
Saudi Arabia's Hajj 2027 calendar sets a chain of firm deadlines from July 2026 onward, and civil society groups are urging NAHCON to open registration early to avoid recurring delays.
Saudi Arabia's 2027 Hajj rules require 1.5 doctors and 1.7 nurses per 1,000 pilgrims, limit each country to one service provider, and route all contracts and payments through Nusuk.
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