AP PHOTOS: Millions of Muslims embark on the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca
The annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia has begun. It's required once in a lifetime by every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to make it. The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, occurs once a year during the lunar month of Dhul-Hijja, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar year.
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BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
Business Daily The economics of Hajj
For more than 1,400 years, Saudi Arabia has hosted pilgrims from across the world who travel to this sacred patch of desert to fulfil a religious obligation. Beyond the eternal moral duty, the economic potential of hosting Hajj is vast. The kingdom is aiming to welcome 30 million pilgrims every year by 2030. As more Muslims gain the financial means to undertake this journey, we look at the scale of the opportunity—for Saudi Arabia, and the global travel industry. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@ Presented and produced by Sameer Hashmi (Picture: Muslim worshippers gather for prayers at the Grand Mosque complex in the holy city of Mecca on June 2, 2025 ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Credit: Getty Images)
The Herald Scotland
21 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Hajj attendance falls to 30-year low excluding Covid-19 pandemic period
Authorities did not immediately offer an explanation for the low turnout. A pilgrim receives water to cool himself (Amr Nabil/AP) It is almost 160,000 fewer pilgrims than last year and a far cry from the pre-pandemic boom, when attendance would regularly push past two million. There was a record-breaking Hajj in 2012, when more than 3.16 million Muslims took part. The kingdom ran a pared-down pilgrimage during the Covid-19 pandemic, sharply reducing the scale of the Hajj between 2020 and 2022 while still allowing a small number of the faithful to take part in the annual event. The Hajj in 2023 was the first to be held without restrictions since the start of the pandemic in 2020. At the Hajj, Muslims gather in Saudi Arabia to unite in religious rituals and acts of worship as they fulfil one of the Five Pillars of Islam, a religious obligation. It can be the spiritual experience of a lifetime for them and a chance to seek God's forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. But inflation and economic crises around the world are putting the Hajj out of reach for some. Excess heat and tougher rules for entry may also have deterred potential pilgrims from heading to Saudi Arabia this year. Earlier on Thursday, pilgrims gathered in Arafat to spend hours in worship and contemplation. The rocky hill holds immense significance in Islam. Arafat is mentioned in the Koran and it is where the Prophet Mohammed is said to have given his last sermon on his final Hajj. On Friday, pilgrims will head to the vast tent city of Mina to carry out the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual by throwing pebbles at pillars.
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Hajj attendance falls to 30-year low excluding Covid-19 pandemic period
This year's Hajj in Saudi Arabia attracted the lowest number of pilgrims for 30 years, excluding the Covid-19 pandemic period, according to figures released on Thursday. The annual Islamic pilgrimage attracted just 1,673,230 Muslims, the majority of them from outside Saudi Arabia, according to a post from the country's Hajj Ministry on the social platform X. Advertisement Authorities did not immediately offer an explanation for the low turnout. A pilgrim receives water to cool himself (Amr Nabil/AP) It is almost 160,000 fewer pilgrims than last year and a far cry from the pre-pandemic boom, when attendance would regularly push past two million. There was a record-breaking Hajj in 2012, when more than 3.16 million Muslims took part. The kingdom ran a pared-down pilgrimage during the Covid-19 pandemic, sharply reducing the scale of the Hajj between 2020 and 2022 while still allowing a small number of the faithful to take part in the annual event. Advertisement The Hajj in 2023 was the first to be held without restrictions since the start of the pandemic in 2020. At the Hajj, Muslims gather in Saudi Arabia to unite in religious rituals and acts of worship as they fulfil one of the Five Pillars of Islam, a religious obligation. It can be the spiritual experience of a lifetime for them and a chance to seek God's forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. But inflation and economic crises around the world are putting the Hajj out of reach for some. Advertisement Excess heat and tougher rules for entry may also have deterred potential pilgrims from heading to Saudi Arabia this year. Earlier on Thursday, pilgrims gathered in Arafat to spend hours in worship and contemplation. The rocky hill holds immense significance in Islam. Arafat is mentioned in the Koran and it is where the Prophet Mohammed is said to have given his last sermon on his final Hajj. Advertisement On Friday, pilgrims will head to the vast tent city of Mina to carry out the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual by throwing pebbles at pillars.
