Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 5 May 2026, 5:34 PM (Saudi time)
Indonesia launches Hajj 2026 with 391 pilgrims in the first batch, deploying 548 flights to transport its 221,000-strong quota - the largest of any country. Average waiting time stands at 26.4 years.
Hajj 2026 Day of Arafah is expected on May 26, with Eid Al Adha on May 27, based on astronomical calculations. Final dates depend on official Saudi moon sighting around May 17.
Saudi Arabia enforces fines up to SAR 100,000 for Hajj facilitators and SAR 20,000 for unauthorised pilgrims, plus deportation and 10-year entry bans, targeting informal networks enabling illegal participation.
Hajj 2026 proceeds as scheduled despite the expiry of the US-Iran ceasefire. Saudi Arabia confirms advanced security with 1.8 million pilgrims expected. Trump indicates truce extension but no formal deal confirmed.
First Hajj 2026 pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia on April 18 from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Malaysia, with 3.1 million seats allocated across 12,000+ flights.
Saudi Arabia confirms Hajj 2026 will proceed as scheduled despite a fragile US-Iran ceasefire expiring as the first pilgrims arrive. Makkah and Madinah remain protected by advanced defence systems.
194,000 pilgrims in Madinah post-Hajj Arab News
Hajj Pilgrims Prepare to Depart Makkah to Madinah Asharq Al-Awsat | Explore World News Today
Photos: One million Muslims start Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca Al Jazeera
Muslim pilgrims flock to Makkah for first post-pandemic Hajj Middle East Monitor
Hajj 2022: dates, packages, Covid rules and all you need to know The National
Hajj 2021: How the pilgrim routes to Makkah and Madinah evolved over the centuries Arab News