Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 18 Sep 2026, 10:23 AM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia's Nusuk Masar platform now runs Hajj contracting, payments, visas and crowd scheduling on a single calendar of fixed deadlines, with airline and service agreements due to be concluded in late 2026.
After years of extreme summer heat, the Hajj is set to move gradually into cooler months from 2027 as the Islamic lunar calendar shifts, even as Saudi Arabia expands record cooling and shading infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism has revised four regulations covering travel services, tourist guides, hospitality facilities and private hospitality units, with implications for pilgrims booking accommodation and services.
Officials say digital tools have cut pilgrim waiting times at the Grand Mosque from about two hours to roughly nine minutes, part of a drive to make the site one of the world's smartest by 2030.
Egyptian tourism authorities have warned prospective Hajj pilgrims against unlicensed brokers and fake social media offers as official procedures for the 2027 season get under way, urging bookings only through licensed companies.
Official statistics show 15,233,767 pilgrims performed Umrah in the first quarter of 2026, with air travel carrying most international arrivals, as Saudi Arabia manages the 1448 AH season calendar.
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