Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 4 May 2026, 1:39 AM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia has made the Nusuk smart card mandatory for all Hajj 2026 pilgrims, combining personal, medical, and accommodation data. The Nusuk app has surpassed 51 million users with over 130 digital services.
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.
First Indonesian Hajj pilgrims to reach Saudi Arabia next week Arab News
How to travel to Mecca by Haramain High-Speed Railway during Hajj season Gulf News
Hajj faces extreme heat, safety challenges ahead of 2025 pilgrimage | Daily Sabah Daily Sabah
For Pilgrims Traveling Unofficially, Performing the Hajj Can Be a Harrowing Journey New Lines Magazine
Deaths during Hajj: How the pilgrimage turned fatal NBC News
Why this year’s Hajj was so deadly Vox