Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 4 May 2026, 1:39 AM (Saudi time)
The first international Hajj 2026 pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Malaysia, with 3.1 million seats across 12,000 flights allocated for the season.
Saudi Arabia has revealed plans for a new Makkah international airport, a metro system with completed feasibility studies, an AI crowd management programme, and integrated Saudia-Saudi Railways ticketing as part of a large-scale infrastructure overhaul of the Holy City.
Saudi Arabia requires all Hajj 2026 pilgrims to carry a valid quadrivalent ACYW meningitis vaccination certificate administered at least 10 days before arrival, with additional polio vaccine requirements for pilgrims from high-risk countries.
Saudi Arabia restricted entry to Makkah from 13 April 2026 to Hajj permit holders only and suspended Umrah permits from 18 April to 31 May 2026 as the Kingdom prepares for the Hajj pilgrimage beginning around 25 May.
Saudia has launched Hajj 2026 operations with 160 aircraft and over one million seats spanning 145 global destinations, as part of Saudi Arabia's total air transport plan of 3.1 million seats across 12,000 flights.
Saudi Arabia has imposed fines of up to SAR 100,000 for facilitating unauthorised Hajj and up to SAR 20,000 for pilgrims performing Hajj without a permit, alongside 10-year re-entry bans for violators.
Pilgrim Deaths in Mecca Put Spotlight on Underbelly of Hajj Industry (Published 2024) The New York Times
Extreme heat kills 1,301 pilgrims during the Hajj in Mecca grist.org
Maryland couple among dead on Mecca pilgrimage amid extreme heat NBC4 Washington
Hajj Deaths: Tragedies In Mecca are Far From Rare Statista
More than 1,300 pilgrims died during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia this year, officials say PBS
At least 1,300 hajj pilgrims died during extreme heat, Saudi Arabia says The Guardian