Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 17 Sep 2026, 10:12 AM (Saudi time)
The Makkah Route Initiative pre-cleared and transported 388,694 pilgrims on 1,227 flights during the 1447 Hajj season, expanding to 17 ports in 10 countries with Senegal and Brunei joining for the first time.
Pakistan's federal cabinet has approved a new private Hajj policy for 2027 to 2030 that replaces the quota system with performance-based grading, a digital booking portal and strict controls on how pilgrims' money is handled.
Wego and Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah have launched a digital platform that combines visa requests, hotel booking and ground services, offering pilgrims three tiers of support for the 1448 AH season.
An exhibition in Makkah is displaying six marble tiles from 1881 CE that once adorned the Grand Mosque, part of a wider effort to preserve the architectural heritage of Islam's holiest sites.
Saudi Arabia will open priority accommodation reservations for Hajj 2027 to service providers from June 30 to August 13, 2026, as part of an early shift to integrated, regulated service packages.
Saudi authorities have set fixed daily entry times for Hijr Ismail at the Grand Mosque, with women admitted in the early morning and men later in the day to ease crowding near the Ka'bah.
MOI warns of SR100,000 fine for transporting visit visa holders to Makkah during Hajj season Saudi Gazette
Ministry sets up 32 children’s hospitality centers in Makkah and Madinah Arab News
Ramadan: Mecca, Madinah flooded with Umrah visitors The Business Standard
194,000 pilgrims in Madinah post-Hajj Arab News