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.
7 tips for Hajj travellers, from pilgrims who have done it before Condé Nast Traveller Middle East
Over 205,000 Pilgrims Without Hajj Permits Expelled from Mecca Morocco World News
Pilgrims gather in Makkah for hajj Kuwait Times
Saudi Arabia plans for safer Hajj as more than 1mn pilgrims arrive Financial Times
Saudi Arabia stops 269,678 Muslims without Hajj permits from entering Mecca AP News
Nearly 270,000 pilgrims without permits stopped from entering Mecca Euronews.com