Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 23 Sep 2026, 10:20 AM (Saudi time)
The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites completed the second phase of its Arafat shading and cooling project, expanding covered areas fivefold to more than 272,000 square metres ahead of Hajj 2026.
Saudi Arabia deployed more than 39,000 trained volunteers across the holy sites, border crossings and pilgrim cities during Hajj 2026, coordinated through a unified digital command centre linking 16 organisations.
Saudi authorities announced the successful conclusion of the Hajj 2026 season, with more than 1.7 million pilgrims completing the rites at the holy sites. Preparations for the 1448 AH pilgrimage have already begun.
Saudi Arabia has begun issuing Umrah visas for the 1448 AH season, with pilgrims able to enter Makkah from June 1, 2026. The Nusuk application is now mandatory for permit issuance regardless of visa type.
International Hajj 2026 arrivals reached 1,518,153 - surpassing 2025's total despite regional tensions. The Makkah Route Initiative served a record 388,694 pilgrims across 1,227 flights.
Saudi Arabia announces the full Umrah 1448 calendar running June 2026 to April 2027, with a new 30-day visa entry rule replacing the previous 90-day window.
Makkah Entry Permit 2026 Explained: Who Needs It, Who Is Exempt, and How to Avoid Being Turned Back Wego Travel Blog
Bus crash near Makkah kills 2 Egyptian Umrah pilgrims, injures 25 Muslim Network TV
Strict security in Makkah targets Hajj violations Arab News
Taraneh Rahimi was told prison guards would rape her sister, Romina, if she did not sign a confessionThe twins were 19 and still in high school when they were taken from their beds in the dead of night by masked men later identified as being sent by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Saudi Arabia Records 15.2 Million Umrah Pilgrims in First Quarter of 2026 Nomad Lawyer
Ministry of Hajj organizes ‘Khitamuhu Misk’ ceremony in Makkah Arab News