Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 12 Nov 2026, 10:00 AM (Saudi time)
Heavy rain and hail hit Makkah on 13 September 2026 as worshippers continued praying at the Grand Mosque, part of a wider thunderstorm system the National Centre for Meteorology had forecast across the Kingdom.
Pakistan has extended to 25 September the deadline for Umrah pilgrims leaving Karachi to hold digitally verified vaccination certificates, after airport officials sought more time to implement the NADRA-linked system.
Singapore's MUIS has begun Haj 2027 preparations with a 900-place quota from Saudi Arabia and a strengthened mandatory medical assessment, setting deadlines that run from mid-September through early November 2026.
India has announced its Haj Policy 2027, allocating 175,025 pilgrim seats between the Haj Committee of India and private operators, and expanding digital and medical measures for travellers.
Saudi Arabia has restructured its Hajj 2027 offering into three package tiers, discontinuing Package D and making a unified accommodation, transport and catering model mandatory for pilgrims.
Saudi authorities have confirmed fines of up to SR100,000 for Hajj and Umrah service companies that fail to report pilgrims who remain in the Kingdom after their authorised stay expires.
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