Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 9 Jun 2026, 7:00 PM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia requires the quadruple meningitis vaccine for all pilgrims, with polio and yellow fever shots mandatory for travellers from at-risk regions, and flu, pneumococcal and COVID-19 vaccines strongly advised.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has approved 73 companies as qualified to serve domestic pilgrims, urging pilgrims to contract only through official channels.
Saudi Arabia has set June 30 to August 13, 2026 as the window for Hajj affairs offices and international service providers to reserve pilgrim accommodation in Makkah and Madinah for the 1448 AH season.
Pakistan has advised prospective pilgrims to obtain passports now, saying Hajj 2027 bookings could close within two months as Saudi Arabia begins early preparations for next year's season.
Indonesia has begun planning its 2027 Hajj operation and reviewing 2028, with rising aviation fuel prices driving an early search for cost-control measures in the world's largest Hajj-sending country.
Saudi Arabia has issued its Hajj 2027 Preparation Document, with the pilgrimage expected in mid-May 2027, prompting national Hajj bodies including the Haj Committee of India to advise pilgrims to ready their passports.