Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 21 Jun 2026, 12:22 PM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia expanded AI across the 1447 Hajj, using SDAIA platforms Baseer and Sawaher for crowd monitoring, a multilingual robot, the Makkah Route Initiative, and the Nusuk Card for digital identity and medical records.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has set the Hajj 2027 booking calendar, with priority accommodation reservations opening June 30 and service contracts through Masar Nusuk from July 29.
Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Statistics confirmed 1,707,301 pilgrims performed Hajj 2026, with detailed breakdowns by origin, entry point and gender.
Indonesia has begun planning its 2027 and 2028 Hajj seasons early, with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah flagging rising aviation fuel prices as a key threat to pilgrim costs.
Saudi Arabia has made staff training a prerequisite for Hajj visas and permits in 2027, alongside a mandatory integrated service model and a defined contracting timetable for providers.
Saudi and national health authorities have restated that the quadrivalent meningitis vaccine and seasonal flu vaccine are mandatory for Hajj 1448 AH pilgrims, alongside medical fitness declarations.
Ghanaian pilgrims move to Mina for main Hajj rites Modern Ghana
TGA President Conducts Field Tour of Hajj Transport Services in Jeddah and Makkah وكالة الأنباء السعودية
Iranians find 'peace and safety' in Mecca during hajj France 24
Timelapse shows Hajj pilgrims performing Tawaf in Mecca Al Jazeera
Muslims from around the world are gathering in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Muslims begin the annual Hajj in sweltering heat against a backdrop of war concerns Temple Daily Telegram