Mecca: The annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, officially began Monday.
More than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the country, Saleh bin Saad Al-Murabba, commander of the Hajj passport forces, said Friday.
The faithful have been pouring into the country for the Hajj against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related regional tensions and uncertainty.
The number of foreign pilgrims has reached 1,518,153, a 0.8 percent increase from 2025, according to a report.
Following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, pilgrims are spending the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah on Monday in Mina, worshipping and preparing before moving to Arafat, the spiritual climax of Hajj, on Tuesday.
Movement into Mina was carried out under a unified operational system, with authorities reporting smooth flow along key routes, supported by traffic management plans and aerial monitoring to ensure orderly crowd movement.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said its operational plans for the Day of Tarwiyah were part of a broader integrated system designed to ensure smooth movement, efficient crowd management, and high-quality services throughout the pilgrimage.
Officials stressed that coordination across security, health, and service agencies remained central to maintaining safety, comfort, and operational efficiency during Hajj.
Mina: Sacred valley comes alive during Hajj
Located between Makkah and Muzdalifah, Mina lies about 7 km northeast of the Grand Mosque within the Haram boundary. Surrounded by mountains to the north and south, it remains uninhabited for most of the year and comes alive during Hajj.
On the Makkah side, Mina is bordered by the Jamarat area, while on the other side it connects to Wadi Muhassir, a narrow valley leading toward Muzdalifah. The valley is linked in Islamic tradition to the Year of the Elephant, when Abraha’s forces were halted in their advance toward the Kaaba around A.D. 570, widely believed to correspond to the birth year of Prophet Muhammad.
During Hajj, the site hosts an expanded tent city spanning about 2.5 million sq. meters. The infrastructure is designed to enhance safety and security standards, with capacity exceeding 2.6 million pilgrims.
