Over 1.5 million pilgrims begin Hajj amid regional tensions
Key takeaways
- The spiritual and physical challenge, described by pilgrims as a transformative and deeply meaningful journey, comes amid the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire in the Iran war and a global energy crisis.
- xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site, at the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
- Saleh bin Saad al-Murabba, commander of the Hajj passport forces, said that over 1.5 million pilgrims had entered the kingdom by Friday, with more expected.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The spiritual and physical challenge, described by pilgrims as a transformative and deeply meaningful journey, comes amid the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire in the Iran war and a global energy crisis.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site, at the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. [Altaf Qadri/AP Photo]By APPublished On 25 May 202625 May 2026The annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, has begun in Saudi Arabia as more than 1.5 million pilgrims arrive from abroad amid the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire in the Iran war and a global energy crisis.
Saleh bin Saad al-Murabba, commander of the Hajj passport forces, said that over 1.5 million pilgrims had entered the kingdom by Friday, with more expected.