Saudi Hajj Ministry Suspends 21 Umrah Companies Over Service Failures
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has suspended 21 Umrah service companies after evaluations found declining service quality and regulatory violations during the last season.
Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 18 Jun 2026, 7:06 PM (Saudi time)
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has suspended 21 Umrah service companies after evaluations found declining service quality and regulatory violations during the last season.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has approved 73 accredited companies to serve domestic pilgrims, urging Hajj-goers to contract only through official channels.
Indonesia has begun planning its 2027 Hajj operation with a focus on shielding pilgrims from rising aviation fuel costs, one of the largest components of the total pilgrimage bill.
Saudi Arabia has launched Roya, an AI and satellite-driven platform that monitors crowd density, traffic and heat across the holy sites to support Hajj and Umrah operations.
Saudi Arabia has unveiled a Hajj 2027 service overhaul that scraps Package D, consolidates offerings into three tiers, mandates a single integrated package, and ties staff permits to compulsory training.
The Haj Committee of India has opened the preliminary phase of the 2027 Hajj, advising pilgrims to ensure passports are machine-readable and valid until at least 31 December 2027.
More than 1.5m foreign pilgrims begin Hajj despite Iran war fears BBC
More than 1.5m Muslim pilgrims begin hajj as Iran peace deal hangs in the balance Euronews.com
Iranians find ‘peace and safety’ in Mecca during hajj Digital Journal
The Hajj begins amid extreme heat in Mecca: Saudi Arabia deploys thousands of medical staff following last year’s tragedy Atalayar
How Hajj is driving a food and beverage boom in Saudi Arabia The New Arab
Pilgrims kick off Hajj as Iran war's future uncertain The New Arab