Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 27 Jul 2026, 6:55 PM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia will require all foreign personnel in external Hajj affairs offices to complete a compulsory training programme before receiving 2027 Hajj visas, alongside a new integrated service model and priority accommodation booking window.
The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites has awarded a SAR2 billion contract to develop the 235,000 square metre East Hindawiyah District near the Grand Mosque as a mixed-use urban hub.
Saudi Arabia has shortened the Umrah entry visa validity from three months to one month from the date of issuance, requiring pilgrims to plan travel more carefully for the 1448 AH season.
Saudi Arabia has begun early preparations for the 2027 Hajj, unveiling integrated service packages, a three-tier package structure that ends Package D, and mandatory training for Hajj office staff.
An exhibition in Makkah is displaying a rare wooden platform once used near the Black Stone to direct pilgrims during Tawaf, highlighting early crowd-management methods at the Grand Mosque.
Saudi Arabia's Makkah Route Initiative pre-cleared 388,694 pilgrims at 17 departure points in 10 countries during Hajj 2026, with Senegal and Brunei Darussalam joining the programme for the first time.
Now you can get multiple-entry Umrah visa valid for one year Time Out Riyadh
New Saudi visa lets Umrah pilgrims visit multiple times within a year Euronews.com
Saudi Arabia's New Multiple-Entry Umrah Visa 2026: A Complete Guide to Validity, Rules and How to Apply Wego Travel Blog
Saudi Arabia Records Massive Umrah Religious Tourism Surge in 2026 as New Multiple-Entry Visa Policy Eases Access for Pilgrims from Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Egypt, and Iraq: New Travel Alert Nomad Lawyer
Saudi Arabia launches multiple-entry Umrah visa - The Jordan News Agency وكالة الانباء الاردنية
Saudi Arabia introduces year-long multiple-entry Umrah visa The Arab Weekly