The annual Hajj pilgrimage — one of the five pillars of Islam — has officially begun in Saudi Arabia, with more than 1.5 million pilgrims already arriving in Mecca amid fragile regional tensions and ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East.
Saudi Hajj official Saleh bin Saad al Muraba confirmed the number of arriving pilgrims as Muslims from across the world gathered to perform the sacred journey, which every able Muslim is expected to complete at least once in their lifetime.
The pilgrimage includes several religious rituals carried out over at least four days in Mecca and its surrounding holy sites in western Saudi Arabia.
On the first day, many pilgrims gathered in the massive tent city of Mina near Mecca, while others performed prayers and circumambulated the Kaaba inside the Grand Mosque under extreme summer temperatures.
Pilgrims used umbrellas and handheld fans to protect themselves from the intense heat, while volunteers distributed water bottles and cooling stations sprayed mist into the air to help worshippers cope with the conditions.
For many believers, Hajj represents a lifelong spiritual goal, with some spending years saving money and waiting for travel permits in hopes of making the journey.
Tomorrow marks the climax of the pilgrimage, when millions of worshippers will gather at Mount Arafat for prayers, the site where Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon.
The Hajj annually brings together Muslims from different ethnicities, cultures, languages, and economic backgrounds, symbolizing unity within the Islamic world.
Due to growing global security concerns and regional instability, countries such as Indonesia — home to the world’s largest Muslim population — implemented additional safety measures and logistical preparations ahead of this year’s pilgrimage season.
Meanwhile, in India, rising fuel prices linked to regional tensions and the conflict involving Iran have increased travel costs for many pilgrims heading to Saudi Arabia.
