Overview
- Saleh al-Murabba confirmed late Friday that 1,518,153 foreign pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, a total that already tops arrivals at the same stage in 2025.
- The pilgrimage opens with a tense regional backdrop after the Feb. 28 attack on Tehran and subsequent reprisals, and officials say a fragile ceasefire remains in place that could still risk wider escalation.
- Iranian participation is sharply reduced, with Iran Air and state media reporting about 30,000 Iranians on site versus an initial projection of roughly 86,000, a drop officials link to the conflict.
- Saudi authorities have banned political and sectarian flags and slogans and have deployed more than 50,000 medical staff, 3,000 ambulances, expanded shaded and air-conditioned areas to fight heat-related risks.
- Travel disruptions and higher costs followed weeks of Gulf airspace closures and flight cancellations, but major Gulf carriers have largely restored capacity, easing logistics for the influx of pilgrims.