Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 23 Sep 2026, 10:20 AM (Saudi time)
Indonesia will require all 2027 Hajj officials to complete military-style barracks training, a 30-day programme aimed at improving discipline and service after years of pilgrim complaints.
Saudi Arabia's new multiple-entry Umrah visa is valid for 365 days with a 90-day total stay, but pilgrims must enter within 30 days and still book a Nusuk package and permit for each visit.
Saudi Arabia has unveiled major Hajj 2027 reforms, bundling accommodation, transport and catering into mandatory integrated packages, scrapping the lowest package tier, and requiring compulsory training for foreign Hajj staff.
Health authorities have opened Hajj 2027 medical fitness certification as Saudi Arabia continues to require pilgrims to prove they are fit, vaccinated, and free from disqualifying conditions before travel.
Nigeria's Hajj commission has fixed 2027 pilgrimage fares between 7.56 million and 7.88 million naira depending on departure zone, with a December 2 payment deadline and a September 26 biometric registration cut-off.
Saudi Arabia's proposed 5.3 billion dollar Makkah airport progressed through planning and approvals in 2026, aiming to let pilgrims arrive directly near the holy city and ease pressure on Jeddah's airport.
Makkah Entry Permit 2026 Explained: Who Needs It, Who Is Exempt, and How to Avoid Being Turned Back Wego Travel Blog
Bus crash near Makkah kills 2 Egyptian Umrah pilgrims, injures 25 Muslim Network TV
Strict security in Makkah targets Hajj violations Arab News
Taraneh Rahimi was told prison guards would rape her sister, Romina, if she did not sign a confessionThe twins were 19 and still in high school when they were taken from their beds in the dead of night by masked men later identified as being sent by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Saudi Arabia Records 15.2 Million Umrah Pilgrims in First Quarter of 2026 Nomad Lawyer
Ministry of Hajj organizes ‘Khitamuhu Misk’ ceremony in Makkah Arab News