More than 1.5 million Muslim pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, a figure that already exceeds last year's foreign arrivals, with the pilgrimage itself not beginning until Monday.
Pilgrims in Mecca © Mena Today
More than 1.5 million Muslim pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, a figure that already exceeds last year's foreign arrivals, with the pilgrimage itself not beginning until Monday.
The numbers are striking given the backdrop. The Hajj is taking place under the shadow of regional conflict, following the Israeli-American strike on Tehran on February 28 that prompted Iran to target its Gulf neighbours. The resulting airspace closures, flight cancellations and surge in travel costs had raised serious doubts about attendance levels this year.
That pilgrims have turned out in such numbers is a testament to the centrality of the Hajj in Muslim life, one of Islam's five pillars, obligatory for every Muslim who is physically and financially able to undertake it at least once in a lifetime. Major Gulf carriers from the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain have largely restored their operational capacity after weeks of disruption, easing access to the holy sites.
In 2025, total pilgrims numbered 1.67 million. This year's final count is expected to rise further before the rites begin.
Saudi oil giant Aramco announced Tuesday a 44% surge in net profit for the second quarter compared to the same period last year, driven by soaring crude prices amid the war in the Middle East.
Iran is betting it can outlast Washington by turning the Middle East's trade routes, shipping lanes and energy infrastructure into pressure points that steadily raise the cost of confrontation, according to Gulf officials and analysts.
Conflicting signals from the United States and Iran over the status of talks to end their five-month-old war boosted uncertainty on Tuesday, with the latest attack on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz highlighting risks to global energy flows.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.
