Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 7 Nov 2026, 10:28 AM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia's National Center for Meteorology has warned of heavy rain, flash floods and hail across the Makkah region and lighter rain in Madinah, prompting Civil Defense safety advisories for pilgrims during the early Umrah season.
A fire at a hotel in Makkah's Jabal Omar district near the Grand Mosque was brought under control on September 8, 2026, with no injuries or casualties reported.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has approved the daily opening of women's prayer halls for all five prayers in every mosque across Madinah, a change that helps women pilgrims pray on time.
Saudi Arabia is expanding digital systems at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, aiming to make it one of the world's smartest sites by 2030, with smart mobility, digital iftar management, the Rafed platform and interactive mapping.
Saudi authorities have advised Umrah pilgrims that the Grand Mosque is quietest from 10pm to 4am and 9am to 4pm, while the evening hours of 5pm to 9pm are busiest.
Saudi Arabia's digital overhaul of the Grand Mosque has cut pilgrim transport waits from two hours to nine minutes and now manages 38 million iftar meals digitally, part of a push to make the site among the world's smartest by 2030.
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