Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 22 Jun 2026, 12:13 PM (Saudi time)
A jet fuel price surge raised the cost of flying Hajj pilgrims in 2026, prompting Indonesia and Pakistan to subsidise fares while India added a surcharge. Officials are now planning for fuel-driven cost pressures in 2027 and 2028.
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's Hajj 2027 roadmap has set Nigeria's NAHCON and state welfare boards a tight sequence of deadlines, with registration expected to close September 26, 2026, as states begin collecting pilgrim deposits.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has set the 1448 AH timeline, opening priority accommodation reservations on June 30, 2026 and confirming key dates through to 2027 flights.
Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Statistics has released the official Hajj 1447 count of 1,707,301 pilgrims, with a full breakdown by arrival method, gender and origin.
Saudi Arabia has announced Hajj 2027 reforms that make operator staff training compulsory, bundle accommodation, transport, and catering into a unified package, and cut Hajj packages to three tiers.
The spiritual and physical challenge is described by pilgrims as a transformative and deeply meaningful journey.
With nearly two million worshippers performing Hajj this year, technology is key to ensuring everything runs smoothly.
Hajj to experience milder weather as pilgrimage moves into spring and winter Gulf News
Hajj 2026: Saudi Arabia’s metro system to transport over two million pilgrims MSN
8 persons penalized for transporting 18 people without Hajj permits Saudi Gazette
Hajj 2026: Saudi Arabia announces Rawdah Sharif visiting times for pilgrims Gulf Business