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.
Annual pilgrimage to Mecca an important part of Muslim faith Furman University
Record-Breaking 13.5 Million Muslims Participate in Umrah Pilgrimage to Mecca in 2023 The Media Line
China makes it harder for its Muslim citizens to go to Mecca, or anywhere else NPR
British Nationals Can Now Perform Umrah Without The Need For a Visa British Muslim Magazine
President arrives in Madinah after performing Hajj Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)
The road to Mecca is fraught with challenges – but there’s nothing like the hajj pilgrimage to turn hearts | Ali Hammoud The Guardian