Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 23 Sep 2026, 10:20 AM (Saudi time)
India's Haj Policy 2027 introduces AI-assisted pilgrim management, a tighter inspector ratio and two-step medical screening, while keeping the 70:30 quota split. Applications are open and the Qurrah draw is set for July 30.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has published a step-by-step Umrah and Visit Guide in 16 languages on haj.gov.sa, featuring interactive maps, QR codes and links to digital services.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has introduced a one-year multiple-entry Umrah visa allowing repeat entries with a cumulative stay of up to 90 days, though it cannot be used during the Hajj season.
Saudi Arabia recorded a 22.5 percent rise in Umrah arrivals this season, with more than 1.27 million international pilgrims entering the Kingdom. Pakistan, Indonesia and Iraq led the numbers, and 75 percent arrived by air.
Saudi Arabia has completed a full cloud migration of its Hajj and Umrah Data Center, which serves more than 20 million pilgrims a year and powers the Nusuk platform, the Electronic Hajj and Umrah Portal and over 500 digital services.
Saudi Arabia suspended 21 Umrah companies on 14 July 2026 after inspections found regulatory violations and poor service, reinforcing its push for stricter oversight ahead of the new Umrah season.
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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