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.
How AI tech innovation has elevated the Hajj 2025 pilgrimage experience Arab News
Today’s Hajj pilgrimage is limited to Mecca and Medina. It used to include Palestine, too. Mondoweiss
Hajj Begins With Sweeping New Changes Time Magazine
What is Hajj and why is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca important to Muslims? NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
Saudi Arabia seeks to prevent heat deaths as Hajj pilgrimage begins BBC
Hajj by horseback: Modern-day caravan makes seven-month pilgrimage from Andalusia to Makkah The National