Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 18 Jun 2026, 12:05 PM (Saudi time)
Saudi Arabia's National Center for Environmental Compliance reported a 145 percent rise in Hajj inspections in 2026, using satellite imagery and AI to monitor air, noise and waste across the holy sites.
Indonesia has begun planning its 2027 Hajj operation and reviewing 2028, with rising aviation fuel prices driving an early search for cost-control measures in the world's largest Hajj-sending country.
Saudi Arabia has issued its Hajj 2027 Preparation Document, with the pilgrimage expected in mid-May 2027, prompting national Hajj bodies including the Haj Committee of India to advise pilgrims to ready their passports.
Saudi Arabia will require all foreign personnel in external Hajj affairs offices to complete a compulsory training programme before receiving 2027 Hajj visas, alongside a new integrated service model and priority accommodation booking window.
The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites has awarded a SAR2 billion contract to develop the 235,000 square metre East Hindawiyah District near the Grand Mosque as a mixed-use urban hub.
Saudi Arabia has shortened the Umrah entry visa validity from three months to one month from the date of issuance, requiring pilgrims to plan travel more carefully for the 1448 AH season.
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