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Saudi Arabia concludes Hajj 2026 after 1.7 million pilgrims visit Makkah
Thousands of Muslims began to leave the holy city on Friday after having completed the Hajj pilgrimage this year
- PUBLISHED: Fri 29 May 2026, 9:42 PM
Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region, announced the successful completion of the 1447 AH Hajj season, saying pilgrims were able to perform their rituals smoothly thanks to extensive security, organisation and services.
On behalf of Governor of Makkah Region and Chairman of the Permanent Committee for Hajj and Umrah Prince Khalid bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz and Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, the deputy governor congratulated the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, on the occasion of the successful Hajj season.
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He added that this year's success confirmed the Kingdom's ability to manage massive crowds efficiently, allowing pilgrims to perform their rituals in an atmosphere of security, tranquility, and care befitting the sanctity of the place and time.
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Thousands of Muslims began to leave the holy city on Friday after having completed the Hajj pilgrimage in scorching heat.
This year, more than 1.7 million people from 165 countries took part in one of the world's largest religious gatherings, against the backdrop of the conflict sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, AFP reported.
Since war erupted in February, Tehran has retaliated with waves of drone and missile strikes, hitting infrastructure and energy installations across the Gulf, including in Saudi Arabia, home to Makkah.
More than 30,000 Iranians made the journey to Makkah, about a third of the 86,000 originally expected. Iran's IRNA state news agency said the "wartime situation" explained the drop.
