Saudi Arabia Expands Hajj Security as More Than 1.5 Million Foreign Pilgrims Arrive

Saudi Arabia is preparing for the 2026 Hajj season as nearly 2 million Muslims are expected to perform Hajj in 2026, with authorities reporting that more than 1.5 million pilgrims from abroad have already arrived in the Kingdom.

Anadolu Ajansı said Saudi authorities expanded organizational and security measures for 2026, including the use of surveillance technologies and crowd-monitoring systems to manage pilgrim movement and prevent unauthorized entry into the holy sites.

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera reported that more than 1.5 million pilgrims braved fierce Mecca heat ahead of Hajj, with temperatures in Mecca near 47°C during the Hajj running from 24 to 29 May.

Al Jazeera also said Saudi Arabia expanded shaded areas at the Holy Mosques fivefold since 2024, when extreme heat claimed the lives of more than 1,300.

The timeline in Anadolu Ajansı placed the Hajj as the fifth pillar of the Islamic faith, a ritual that must be performed by all Muslims if financially viable, at least once in a lifetime.

Saudi security briefings described a large-scale operation as officials said more than 366,000 unauthorized individuals were blocked from accessing Mecca through entry checkpoints and that more than 217 fake Hajj campaigns had been dismantled across the Kingdom.

Gulf News quoted Lieutenant General Mohammed Al-Bassami, Director of Public Security and Chairman of the Hajj Security Committee, saying, “Our objective is to ensure every pilgrim can perform their rituals smoothly and return home safely,” while also describing AI-supported monitoring systems to regulate crowd movement and identify violators.

Al-Jazeera Net

İlke Haber Ajansı said Lt. Gen. Saleh Al-Murabba, Director of Hajj Security Forces, confirmed at a press conference that the number of arriving from outside the Kingdom had reached 1,518,153, with 1,457,514 arriving by air, 45,141 via land crossings, and 6,497 by sea.

Al Jazeera reported that pilgrims beat the heat by sheltering under umbrellas and drinking plenty of water as Saudi Arabia expanded shaded areas at the Holy Mosques fivefold since 2024.

The National said Saudi Arabia’s Public Health Authority stressed its epidemiological surveillance system is “fully prepared to safeguard citizens, residents and pilgrims,” while precautionary measures were tightened for travellers arriving from Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and the Republic of the Congo.

As the rites approached, Al-Jazeera Net said the number of pilgrims exceeded the previous season and that the rites begin on Monday, with Saleh Al-Muraab, commander of the Saudi Haj Passport Force, stating that the total number of pilgrims arriving from abroad reached 1,518,153.

“TIMELINE - Hajj pilgrims near 2M as Saudi Arabia prepares for 2026 season Authorities expand organizational, security measures for Hajj season to manage pilgrim movement, prevent unauthorized entry into holy sites Rania Abushamala 24 May 2026•Update: 24 May 2026 ISTANBUL Nearly 2 million Muslims are expected to perform Hajj in 2026 as Saudi Arabia records a continued rise in pilgrim arrivals and intensifies preparations for the annual pilgrimage season”

Anadolu Ajansı

Al-Jazeera Net also said the figures were expected to rise in the next two days as pilgrims continued to arrive before the official start of the Hajj rites on Monday, staying overnight in Mina on the eighth of Dhu al-Hijjah before standing at Arafat on the ninth of Dhu al-Hijjah.

Anadolu Ajansı reported that Saudi authorities announced Friday that more than 1.5 million pilgrims from abroad had arrived in the Kingdom, the majority through air entry points, and it cited official Saudi statistics for 2024 and 2025 as 1,833,164 and 1,673,230 respectively.

Le HuffPost described Saudi Arabia defending itself after hundreds of pilgrims died in Mecca, quoting a senior Saudi official telling AFP that, “The state did not fail, but there was a misjudgment by people who did not grasp the risks involved.”

Le HuffPost said an AFP tally compiled on Friday put total deaths at 1,119 people, with 577 deaths confirmed on the two busiest days of the Hajj: Saturday and Sunday, and it added that the figure of 577 was partial and did not cover the entire Hajj.