Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 23 Jun 2026, 12:14 PM (Saudi time)
Health authorities have reaffirmed the vaccination requirements for Hajj 2027, led by the compulsory quadrivalent meningitis (ACYW) certificate, alongside COVID-19, influenza and country-specific polio rules.
Saudi Arabia has eliminated the budget Package D for Hajj 2027 and consolidated all offerings into three enhanced, all-inclusive tiers, with key contracting deadlines on June 30 and August 13, 2026.
Saudi Arabia has upgraded the mandatory Nusuk app with AI-driven crowd alerts, a green-to-red traffic-light capacity system at the Two Holy Mosques, and a smart digital pilgrim card for the 1448 AH Umrah season.
The Al-Mashaer Metro carried pilgrims between Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah during Hajj 1447, easing road congestion and cutting tens of thousands of bus trips. The electric line forms part of a wider transport push at the holy sites.
Saudi Arabia has shortened the Umrah visa entry window from three months to 30 days for the 1448 AH season, while keeping the 90-day in-country stay unchanged. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah also confirmed the season's opening and closing dates.
Bangladesh's Ministry of Religious Affairs has released its Hajj 2027 roadmap, asking pilgrims to complete registration by September 26, 2026. The schedule follows the Saudi Hajj 1448 calendar handed over in Jeddah.
57 people were arrested for attempting to enter Makkah illegally Saudi Gazette
Hajj pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat under scorching desert sun Al Jazeera
Temperatures near 44°C test worshippers’ endurance as the annual pilgrimage unfolds under the shadow of war.
Saudi Arabia Hajj Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Muslim pilgrims converge on Arafat for prayers and worship as Hajj reaches its peak Los Angeles Times
Muslim pilgrims converge on Arafat for prayers and worship as Hajj reaches its peak The Washington Post