Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 6 May 2026, 6:38 PM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia requires all Hajj 2026 pilgrims to carry a valid quadrivalent ACYW meningitis vaccination certificate administered at least 10 days before arrival, with additional polio vaccine requirements for pilgrims from high-risk countries.
Saudi Arabia restricted entry to Makkah from 13 April 2026 to Hajj permit holders only and suspended Umrah permits from 18 April to 31 May 2026 as the Kingdom prepares for the Hajj pilgrimage beginning around 25 May.
Saudi Arabia has imposed fines of up to SAR 100,000 for facilitating unauthorised Hajj and up to SAR 20,000 for pilgrims performing Hajj without a permit, alongside 10-year re-entry bans for violators.
Extreme heat kills 1,301 pilgrims during the Hajj in Mecca grist.org
Hajj Deaths: Tragedies In Mecca are Far From Rare Statista
More than 1,300 pilgrims died during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia this year, officials say PBS
At least 1,300 hajj pilgrims died during extreme heat, Saudi Arabia says The Guardian
What's behind deaths at this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia? BBC
Mecca sees over 1,000 deaths during the Hajj, a pilgrimage threatened by climate change Le Monde.fr