Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 5 May 2026, 2:24 AM (Saudi time)
A complete step-by-step guide to Ihram for Hajj 2026: clothing rules for men and women, how to enter the sacred state, the full list of prohibitions, penalties for violations, and practical preparation tips.
Saudi Tourism Minister inspects Hajj 2026 facilities as 566,000 new beds are added to Makkah through a new temporary licensing system. New hospitality rules require all providers to obtain official approval.
A comprehensive accessibility guide for elderly and disabled pilgrims performing Hajj 2026: free wheelchairs, electric carts, proxy Hajj rulings, over-65 requirements, and practical tips for limited mobility.
A guide to Zamzam water for Hajj 2026: its 4,000-year history from Hajar's desperate search, where to find it in the Haram, how to take it home (5L bottle per pilgrim), the Sunnah of drinking it, and its geological uniqueness.
Over 50,000 international pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2026 from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, with the arrival phase continuing through May 21 across 12,000+ flights.
Iraqi pilgrims enter Saudi Arabia overland via Jadidat Arar, tracing the path of the ancient Darb Zubaydah - a 1,400 km Hajj route built over 1,000 years ago under Abbasid patronage and now a UNESCO tentative World Heritage Site.
Planning Umrah 2025? Here’s what Saudi authorities want you to know Gulf Business
Planning Umrah 2025? Here’s what Saudi authorities want you to know Gulf Business
Planning Umrah 2025? Here’s what Saudi authorities want you to know Gulf Business
Should the Saudis Continue to Manage the Hajj? Middle East Forum
Pakistan seeks higher 2026 Hajj quota after 455,000 register for pilgrimage Arab News
Guest column | A trip to Mecca was my mom’s last wish. It was full of grief and joy. The Washington Post