Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 22 Sep 2026, 9:49 AM (Saudi time)
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has set the key dates for the 1448 AH Umrah season and reminded pilgrims that visa holders must now enter the Kingdom within a shorter window after issuance.
Saudi statistics show more than 11.2 million pilgrims performed Umrah in the fourth quarter of 2025, split almost evenly between visitors from abroad and worshippers already inside the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has approved its first international airport for Makkah and advanced plans for a city metro, aiming to give pilgrims direct access and ease congestion under Vision 2030.
Pilgrims can now perform Umrah on tourist, transit, business and other valid Saudi visas as the 1448 AH season opens, though Nusuk bookings and a 30-day visa window apply.
The General Authority for the Two Holy Mosques has rolled out a coordinated package of guidance, welfare and mobility services to support pilgrims visiting Madinah after Hajj 2026.
Saudi Arabia has deployed an AI-powered, multilingual robot at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque to answer pilgrims' religious questions and provide instant translation.
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
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Singapore to get 900 slots for Haj 2027; pilgrims to undergo enhanced medical assessment The Straits Times