Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 12 Nov 2026, 10:00 AM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia has opened an early registration-of-interest process on the Nusuk Hajj platform for international pilgrims planning to perform Hajj in 2027. Registering does not confirm a booking or guarantee a place.
Saudi Arabia will require verified medical certificates for 2027 Hajj pilgrims and bars those with certain serious health conditions from performing the pilgrimage. Certificates are checked through Nusuk before visas are approved.
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.
Shuaiba-5 Plant Ensures Makkah Water Supply during Hajj Season وكالة الأنباء السعودية