Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 23 Sep 2026, 10:20 AM (Saudi time)
An exhibition in Makkah is displaying six marble tiles from 1881 CE that once adorned the Grand Mosque, part of a wider effort to preserve the architectural heritage of Islam's holiest sites.
Saudi Arabia will open priority accommodation reservations for Hajj 2027 to service providers from June 30 to August 13, 2026, as part of an early shift to integrated, regulated service packages.
Saudi authorities have set fixed daily entry times for Hijr Ismail at the Grand Mosque, with women admitted in the early morning and men later in the day to ease crowding near the Ka'bah.
King Salman has approved hosting 1,000 Umrah pilgrims from around the world at his own expense for the 1448 season, beginning with 250 guests from 16 Asian countries.
For the 1448 AH season, every Umrah visa must be linked to a verified hotel booking and pre-arranged transport through the Nusuk platform, a measure aimed at curbing scams.
Madinah authorities have expanded transport links and pedestrian walkways around the Prophet's Mosque, including a 24-hour airport route and over 19,000 square metres of new walkways.
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