Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 22 Jun 2026, 12:13 PM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia is opening regulated investment access to Makkah and Madinah, drawing global capital into a hospitality boom aimed at hosting 30 million Umrah pilgrims a year by 2030.
Saudi Arabia's Makkah Route Initiative concluded its 1447 AH operations after pre-clearing 388,694 pilgrims on 1,227 flights from 17 ports across 10 countries, with Senegal and Brunei joining for the first time.
The Haj Committee of India has begun the preliminary phase for Hajj 2027, advising pilgrims to ready passports valid until at least December 31, 2027 after receiving Saudi preparation documents.
Saudi Arabia has discontinued the budget Package D and restructured Hajj 2027 services into three regulated tiers, introducing a mandatory integrated package and compulsory training for Hajj personnel.
Saudi Arabia deployed its largest-ever cooling and shading infrastructure for the 1447 Hajj, one of the last summer pilgrimages before the calendar shifts the season into cooler months from 2027.
Saudi Arabia announced designated Rawdah visiting times at the Prophet's Mosque, with men and women given separate windows and access booked through the Nusuk app.
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Muslim pilgrims converge on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia as the Hajj reaches its peak Sun Sentinel
Hajj 2026: Drones, AI to be used for medical, logistic services The New Arab
Hajj 2026: Pilgrims gather at Mount of Mercy on the plain of Arafat for most sacred stage of Hajj Arab News
Nearly two million gather for annual Hajj pilgrimage despite war in Iran CNN