Mecca | DD News

September 25, 2026 11:27 AM

Allies unite behind Saudi Arabia as Houthis step up attacks

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan will hold an urgent, high-level meeting under a joint defence pact to discuss ways to support the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, while Saudi’s top religious authority told troops to be ready to lay down their lives to fight their Iran-aligned enemy. The ‌Houthis have launched strikes on the Saudi-backed government in Yemen and repeatedly fired into Saudi Arabia, disrupting oil flows from the world’s largest energy exporter, as part of a wider ...

September 18, 2026 9:31 PM

Red Sea tensions, attempted attack on Mecca threaten regional stability: MEA

Reiterating its serious concern over the deteriorating security situation in the Red Sea region and the attempted attack on Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca, India on Friday said that the developments threaten regional stability as well as freedom of navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Addressing a bi-weekly press briefing in New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the attacks as “unacceptable” and called for an early return to pe...

September 16, 2026 7:08 PM

India condemns drone attack near Makkah, calls for peace and stability in region

India has expressed deep concern over the drone attack near Makkah in Saudi Arabia and reiterated its condemnation of attacks on the sovereign territory of the Kingdom. Responding to media queries on the incident, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India condemns actions that endanger civilian lives and infrastructure. Jaiswal said the incident was particularly concerning given Makkah's special significance to Muslims across the world. He also expressed India's hope...

July 8, 2025 3:28 PM

Haj Committee of India opens application process for Haj 2026

The Haj Committee of India, under the Ministry of Minority Affairs, officially opened the application process for Haj 2026 on Tuesday, offering Indian Muslims an opportunity to embark on the sacred pilgrimage to Mecca. Applications can be submitted online through the official Haj portal at https://hajcommittee.gov.in or via the “HAJ SUVIDHA” mobile app, available on both iOS and Android platforms. The application window will remain open till July 31, 2025. Prospective pilgrims are required...

June 4, 2025 1:54 PM

Over 1.4 million pilgrims begin Hajj journey as Saudi Arabia implements unprecedented heat safety measures

The annual Hajj pilgrimage officially commenced today with over 1.4 million international pilgrims joining hundreds of thousands of domestic participants in Mecca, as Saudi authorities unveiled the most extensive safety preparations in the pilgrimage's modern history to combat potentially deadly extreme heat. Pilgrims began streaming into the tent city of Mina early this morning to observe the Day of Tarwiyah, marking the formal start of one of the world's largest religious gatherings. The sacr...

January 27, 2025 4:48 PM

Saudi Arabia allows foreigners to invest in firms with property in Mecca, Medina

Saudi Arabia's market regulator said on Monday it would allow foreign investment in listed companies that own real estate within Islam's two holiest sites of Mecca and Medina, as the Gulf country looks to attract more investment. The move will allow foreigners to invest in firms whose revenues rely on the Islamic pilgrimage, one of the top revenue sources for the oil-rich kingdom. Saudi Arabia's market watchdog, the Capital Market Authority (CMA), said in a statement the move aimed to attract ...

September 16, 2024 6:12 PM

Climate change boosted deadly Saudi haj heat by 2.5 C, scientists say

The heatwave in Saudi Arabia blamed for the deaths of 1,300 people on the haj pilgrimage this month was made worse by climate change, a team of European scientists said on Friday. Temperatures along the route from June 16 to 18 reached 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) at times and exceeded 51.8 C at Mecca's Great Mosque. The heat would have been approximately 2.5 C (4.5 F) cooler without the influence of human-caused climate change, according to a weather attribution analysis by Cli...

September 16, 2024 6:15 PM

Over 1,300 people died during Hajj pilgrimage in 2024: Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia said on Sunday that as many as 1,301 people died during the Hajj pilgrimage, with "numerous cases" due to heat stress and "unauthorized" trips accounting for over four out of five of the deaths, CNN reported. In a statement, the Saudi government said, "The health system addressed numerous cases of heat stress this year, with some individuals still under care. Regrettably, the number of mortalities reached 1,301." The statement noted that 83 per cent of those who died were "unautho...

June 20, 2024 12:03 PM

Climate change threat hangs over haj pilgrimage as hundreds perish in heat

Nearly 2 million Muslims will reach the end of the haj pilgrimage this week, but extreme heat has proved fatal for hundreds who began the journey last Friday to the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca in Saudi Arabia. At least 562 people have died during the haj, according to a tally based on foreign ministry statements and sources. Egypt alone has registered 307 deaths and another 118 missing, according to medical and security sources, as temperatures at times soared past 51 degrees Celsius (...

June 19, 2024 2:55 PM

Scorching Temperatures Claim Lives of Hajj Pilgrims

This year's Hajj pilgrimage was marked by extreme heat, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least 550 pilgrims. Among the deceased, 323 were Egyptians, primarily succumbing to heat-related illnesses. India reported around 50 deaths during the core Hajj period, including the Day of Arafat. The Day of Arafat posed significant challenges, with temperatures soaring above 50 degrees Celsius. Despite the provision of air-conditioned tents, many pilgrims adhered to the strict religious practice of "W...