Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 15 Jun 2026, 12:26 PM (Saudi time)
The first international Hajj 2026 pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Malaysia, with 3.1 million seats across 12,000 flights allocated for the season.
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.
Why Has Cow Slaughter Been Banned In Saudi Arabia During Hajj? ETV Bharat
Saudi Arabia Transforms Pilgrimage Travel Forever, the Makkah Route Initiative Delivered Record-Breaking Seamless Entry to Makkah and Madinah for Hajj 2026 Travel And Tour World
Hajj pilgrimage 2026 - in pictures The National
Saudi Interior Ministry: SAR100,000 Fine for Issuing Visit Visas to Individuals Entering Makkah and Holy Sites Without Hajj Permit » Iraqi News Agency وكالة الانباء العراقية (واع)
PAOG Holds Strategic Meeting Ahead of Main Hajj Rites in Makkah Modern Ghana
Hajj 2026: Pilgrims Moved to Tears at First Glimpse of the Holy Kaaba Kashmir Life