Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 20 Jun 2026, 12:02 PM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia is enforcing strict health eligibility rules for Hajj, barring pilgrims with serious chronic conditions and requiring proof that applicants can perform the rituals independently.
India has opened the administrative cycle for Hajj 2027 after receiving Saudi preparation documents, with an advisory urging pilgrims to ready their passports ahead of registration.
Saudi Arabia's Makkah Route Initiative pre-cleared 388,694 pilgrims across 10 countries for Hajj 1447, completing entry procedures in about 40 seconds before departure.
Saudi Arabia has eliminated the budget Package D for Hajj 2027 and consolidated offerings into three regulated tiers, making integrated accommodation, transport, and catering contracts mandatory for all operators.
Saudi Arabia Railways carried more than two million passengers on the fully electric Al-Mashaaer Metro between Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat during Hajj 1447 AH, replacing some 50,000 bus trips.
Bangladesh has released its Hajj 2027 roadmap, asking prospective pilgrims to register by September 26, 2026, and laying out a timeline that runs from a bilateral agreement in November to the pilgrimage itself in May 2027.