Latest updates from top global and Saudi news sources
Last updated: 22 Jun 2026, 7:26 PM (Saudi time)
A jet fuel price surge raised the cost of flying Hajj pilgrims in 2026, prompting Indonesia and Pakistan to subsidise fares while India added a surcharge. Officials are now planning for fuel-driven cost pressures in 2027 and 2028.
A Makkah exhibition is displaying six 19th-century marble tiles that once decorated the Grand Mosque, part of a Saudi effort to preserve and showcase the heritage of Islam's two holiest sites.
Saudi Arabia's Hajj 2027 roadmap has set Nigeria's NAHCON and state welfare boards a tight sequence of deadlines, with registration expected to close September 26, 2026, as states begin collecting pilgrim deposits.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has set the 1448 AH timeline, opening priority accommodation reservations on June 30, 2026 and confirming key dates through to 2027 flights.
Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Statistics has released the official Hajj 1447 count of 1,707,301 pilgrims, with a full breakdown by arrival method, gender and origin.
Saudi Arabia has announced Hajj 2027 reforms that make operator staff training compulsory, bundle accommodation, transport, and catering into a unified package, and cut Hajj packages to three tiers.
Hajj 2026: Drones, AI to be used for medical, logistic services The New Arab
Hajj 2026: Drones, AI to be used for medical, logistic services The New Arab
Saudi Arabia: Hajj 2026 reaches its spiritual peak as millions of Muslim pilgrims gather MSN
Saudi Arabia: Hajj 2026 reaches its spiritual peak as millions of Muslim pilgrims gather Yahoo News Malaysia
Saudi Arabia: Hajj 2026 reaches its spiritual peak as millions of Muslim pilgrims gather Yahoo News Canada
Saudi Arabia: Hajj 2026 reaches its spiritual peak as millions of Muslim pilgrims gather Yahoo News Australia