Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 22 Sep 2026, 9:49 AM (Saudi time)
An exhibition in Makkah is displaying six marble tiles from 1881 CE that once adorned the Grand Mosque, part of a wider effort to preserve the architectural heritage of Islam's holiest sites.
Saudi authorities have set fixed daily entry times for Hijr Ismail at the Grand Mosque, with women admitted in the early morning and men later in the day to ease crowding near the Ka'bah.
Knight Frank reports that Makkah and Madinah hotels stayed resilient in early 2026, with Makkah the Kingdom's top market, as Saudi Arabia builds toward 30 million pilgrims a year by 2030.
King Salman has approved opening completed sections of the King Abdullah expansion at the Grand Mosque, adding space for at least 500,000 more worshippers as Umrah demand rises.
A Makkah exhibition is displaying six 19th-century marble tiles that once decorated the Grand Mosque, part of a Saudi effort to preserve and showcase the heritage of Islam's two holiest sites.
Saudi Arabia has begun building an 8.5 million square metre waste processing city south of Mecca, designed to meet the holy city's environmental needs and serve millions of pilgrims for up to 60 years.
Hotels Reshape the Real Estate Investment Landscape in Makkah ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English