Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 7 May 2026, 1:02 PM (Saudi time)
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.
Sky News Australia. . Over 1.5 million pilgrims are in Mecca for Hajj this year. Facebook
Saudi transport minister tours Hajj shuttle service for pilgrims Arab News
The decades-old intrigue over an Indian guest house in Mecca BBC
Spanish Muslims retrace ancient Hajj travel route on horseback from Andalusia to Saudi Arabia The Independent
The route to Makkah: Pilgrim’s journey from home to the holy city Arab News
2 million Muslims ‘stone the devil’ as Hajj continues in Mecca | Daily Sabah Daily Sabah