First International Pilgrims Land in Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2026

The first international pilgrims for Hajj 2026 arrived in Saudi Arabia on April 18, with flights landing at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Malaysia.

Inaugural Flights

The inaugural Hajj flight, Saudia SV5807, arrived from Dhaka carrying 376 Bangladeshi pilgrims. India's first batch of 400 pilgrims departed from Mumbai, followed by 10 more flights from other Indian cities. Pakistan's first flight carrying 155 pilgrims arrived from Karachi to Madinah, where they were received with a warm welcome and full facilities.

India is sending a total of 175,025 pilgrims through 17 embarkation points across the country, equipped with the new Hajj Suvidha App for real-time assistance and smart wristbands for pilgrim tracking.

Makkah Route Initiative

Several countries are participating in the Makkah Route initiative, which allows pilgrims to complete immigration, health checks, and baggage procedures before departing their home countries. Upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, these pilgrims bypass passport control and baggage claim entirely, proceeding directly to buses that transport them to their accommodation. The initiative is set to serve over 179,000 pilgrims this season.

Transport Scale

Saudi Arabia has allocated over 3.1 million seats across more than 12,000 scheduled and charter flights for the Hajj season. Saudia has deployed 160 aircraft with over one million seats, while budget carrier flyadeal will transport 85,000 pilgrims from 28 cities across 12 countries. The "Luggage First" service will handle approximately 330,000 bags and 230,000 bottles of Zamzam water.

What Pilgrims Should Know

With Hajj expected between May 25 and 30, pilgrims arriving now will spend the coming weeks in Makkah and Madinah preparing spiritually. The Nusuk app is mandatory for Grand Mosque entry, and all pilgrims must carry their Nusuk smart card at all times. Pilgrims are advised to check the Nusuk app for real-time crowd density data before heading to the Haram.