Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 5 Nov 2026, 8:32 AM (Saudi time)
King Salman has issued a royal order extending Prince Khalid Al-Faisal's service as governor of Makkah Province for a further four years. The prince also chairs the Central Hajj Committee that oversees the annual pilgrimage.
A new Air Arabia-led Saudi low-cost carrier began operations on September 20, 2026, from Dammam's King Fahd International Airport, adding daily flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Madinah that give pilgrims a cheaper route toward the holy cities.
A digital overhaul at the Grand Mosque has cut pilgrim transit waits from two hours to about nine minutes, part of a drive to make the sanctuary one of the world's smartest sites by 2030.
Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Madani, a recognised muezzin of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, has died. He called the Fajr prayer on Monday morning before passing away in the early hours.
Saudi Arabia's Heritage Commission has uncovered a mosque dating to the first century of Islam at the Al Maallamah mining site in the Baha region, featuring a granite mihrab, minaret and an inscription invoking blessings upon the Prophet.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism has updated licensing, classification and inspection rules for Hajj season lodges in Makkah and Madinah, sorting them into economy and first class ahead of the 2027 pilgrimage.
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