MINA, SAUDI ARABIA — Muslim faithful took part in the climactic ritual of the annual hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday, symbolically stoning the devil near Mecca. From dawn, crowds of pilgrims gathered in the valley of Mina, southeast of the holy city of Makkah, to throw pebbles at concrete pillars symbolising the devil. It reenacts the […]
MOUNT ARAFAT (SAUDI ARABIA) — With temperatures hitting 45C in Mecca this week, Saudi health workers have increasingly relied on drones to supply a vast array of medical clinics treating heat-stressed pilgrims during the hajj. The rituals at the hajj have been a constant for centuries. But technology is rapidly changing the experience for pilgrims […]
MINA — As dawn broke on Monday, pilgrims began flowing into the sacred site of Mina west of Mecca, marking the beginning of what is considered the most significant spiritual journey for Muslims around the world. Nearly 2 million Muslims are expected to perform Hajj in 2026 as Saudi Arabia continues to record rising pilgrim […]
RIYADH — To avoid the punishing sun, Inas Gamal abandoned her ambitious plan of spending the days ahead of the hajj praying in Mecca’s Grand Mosque and retreated to the comfort of an air-conditioned hotel room to perform her daytime prayers. Despite travelling all the way from Egypt for the annual pilgrimage, Gamal said it […]
MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA — More than a million Muslims are gathering in Mecca for the hajj pilgrimage overshadowed by the Middle East war, as animosity smoulders across the region despite a fragile ceasefire. This year’s rites, drawing worshippers from across the Islamic world including Iran, follow waves of Iranian attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia […]