MUSLIM PILGRIMS CONCLUDE ANNUAL HAJJ PILGRIMAGE

Sat 30 May 2026:

Muslim pilgrims on Saturday concluded their annual Hajj pilgrimage with the farewell circumambulation at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, western Saudi Arabia.

The pilgrimage was concluded in “an atmosphere of faith filled with tranquility,” Saudi state-run TV Al-Ekhbariya reported.

On Tuesday, the Saudi statistics authority said the total number of pilgrims for this season reached nearly 1.71 million, including 1.55 million pilgrims from outside the kingdom representing 165 nationalities. Over 160,600 pilgrims performed Hajj from within Saudi Arabia.

The total exceeded last year’s figure of 1.67 million pilgrims from both inside and outside the kingdom but was below the more than 1.83 million seen in 2024.

Hajj rituals officially began Monday with pilgrims arriving in Mina, west of Saudi Arabia, amid extensive services and security measures aimed at facilitating the peaceful pilgrimage.

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“I can’t believe I completed the Hajj,” said Ahmed Mamdouh, a 37-year-old Egyptian who performed the pilgrimage for the first time.

Fighting back tears, he added: “I am very happy that I completed the rituals safely. Hajj is truly exhausting, especially in such hot weather.”

Algerian pilgrim Al-Zaoui, 74, wrapped his arm around his wife and said, “It was our dream to perform the Hajj together. Now that dream has come true after 50 years of marriage.”

The six-day Hajj season included standing at Mount Arafat on Tuesday, overnight stays in Muzdalifah, the symbolic stoning of Satan, and the farewell circumambulation at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means to do so.

It involves a series of mostly outdoor rituals over several days.

Saudi authorities in recent years have introduced heat-mitigation measures, including more shaded areas and thousands of extra health workers.

The Saudi Red Crescent said Thursday it had provided emergency services to “more than 83,000 people since the beginning of the Hajj season.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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