Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 21 Sep 2026, 11:04 AM (Saudi time)
The Al Madinah Region Development Authority has equipped over 19,000 square meters of pedestrian walkways and launched a bilingual spatial guidance system to improve mobility for pilgrims around the Prophet's Mosque.
Saudi Arabia's latest Vision 2030 data shows international Umrah arrivals hit a record 18.03 million in 2025, part of a wider tourism surge that saw nearly 123 million total visitors.
Saudi Arabia is opening regulated investment access to Makkah and Madinah, drawing global capital into a hospitality boom aimed at hosting 30 million Umrah pilgrims a year by 2030.
Saudi Arabia announced designated Rawdah visiting times at the Prophet's Mosque, with men and women given separate windows and access booked through the Nusuk app.
Saudi Arabia confirmed the Muharram crescent sighting, marking June 16, 2026, as the first day of the Islamic year 1448 AH, with Ashura falling on June 25.
The General Authority for the Two Holy Mosques has rolled out a coordinated package of guidance, welfare and mobility services to support pilgrims visiting Madinah after Hajj 2026.