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.
Saudi Arabia says it shot down Houthi drone south of Mecca BBC
Malaysians in Jeddah and Makkah safe following Saudi emergency alert NST Online
Can You Perform Umrah Now? The 1448 AH Season Status Wego Travel Blog
The Iran-aligned militant group rejected the suggestion it had targeted Mecca, while the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned the attackSaudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy cit...
Saudi-led coalition intercepts Houthi drone headed for Mecca Al Jazeera
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted a drone before it entered Islam's holiest city, calling pilgrims' security a 'red line'