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Saudi Arabia announced Friday the successful completion of the 2026 Hajj season, saying an integrated system of security, organization and services enabled pilgrims to perform their rituals with ease.
Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz, the deputy governor of the Makkah region and deputy chairman of the Permanent Committee for Hajj and Umrah, announced on television.
Prince Saud said the 2026/1447 AH Hajj season included "an integrated system of security, organization, and services" that helped pilgrims complete their rituals safely and smoothly.
He also said that finishing Hajj brings new responsibilities and confirmed Saudi Arabia’s ongoing commitment to serving Islam and Muslims.
The General Authority for Statistics in Saudi Arabia reported that 1,707,301 people took part in this year’s Hajj. Of these, 1,546,655 came from outside the country, representing 165 nationalities, while 160,646 were from within Saudi Arabia.
The figure surpassed last year's total of 1,673,230 but remained below the record of more than 1.83 million pilgrims registered in 2024.
Hajj rituals officially began Monday with pilgrims arriving in Mina, west of Mecca. The six-day season included the standing at Arafat on Tuesday, overnight stays in Muzdalifah, the symbolic stoning of Satan, and the farewell circumambulation—known as "tawaf"—at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, where pilgrims walk seven times around the Kaaba.
Over 30,000 Iranians traveled to Mecca, about a third of the 86,000 originally expected. Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said the decrease was due to the "wartime situation" after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
These events led to retaliatory drone and missile attacks across the Gulf region, including in Saudi Arabia.
This year’s pilgrimage happened during temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.
After more than 1,300 pilgrims died during the 2024 Hajj, when temperatures went over 50 degrees, Saudi authorities added more heat protection, such as extra shaded areas and thousands of additional health workers.
The Saudi Red Crescent reported providing emergency services to over 83,000 people since the season began.
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