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HAJJ TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS
Srinagar Airport announces partial runway closures for maintenance starting July 2026; total runway shutdown from October 1- Hajj flight redirected for Ahamedabad stopover due to Srinagar airport restrictions, baggage curbs for returning pilgrims
- Hajj travel becomes costlier for pilgrims as Iran-US war disrupts Gulf air routes
- Hajj pilgrim numbers surpass 2025 arrivals despite Middle East warOver 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the kingdom for the upcoming hajj, according to a Saudi official, excee...23 May, 2026, 04.01 PM IST
- Saudi Arabia to resume Umrah visa services from May 31; announces 2026-27 pilgrimage datesSaudi Arabia has unveiled the Umrah calendar for the 2026-27 season, resuming visa issuance on May 31, 2026. Pilgrims can enter Mecca from ...21 May, 2026, 11.18 AM IST
- Limited flights from UAE begin as governments seek to extract citizens from Middle EastTravellers are beginning to depart the UAE on limited evacuation flights as widespread war disrupts Middle East air travel. Many nations ar...03 Mar, 2026, 07.22 AM IST
- Saudi Arabia updates Umrah 2025 visa rules, makes hotel and transport pre-bookings mandatoryNew regulations for Umrah 2025 mandate pilgrims secure confirmed hotel bookings and verified local transport before applying for a visa. Th...30 Sep, 2025, 12.39 PM IST
- Iran announces limited ban on smartphones and laptops, fearing Israel's digital trackingIran has prohibited government officials from using communication devices. This ban follows suspected Israeli digital attacks. An Afghan sh...17 Jun, 2025, 07.11 PM IST
- Saudi Arabia resumes e-visa, Umrah visa services after Hajj concludesSaudi Arabia has reactivated its e-visa system for tourists and Umrah pilgrims after the Hajj pilgrimage concluded, starting June 10. Trave...14 Jun, 2025, 12.30 PM IST
- What is Astrotourism? This Middle Eastern destination's astonishing sky is the new star-gazing haven you must visitSaudi Arabia is emerging as a leader in astrotourism, with its first Dark Sky Parks recognized by DarkSky International. The Kingdom offers...22 Feb, 2025, 07.47 PM IST
- Saudi Arabia restricts travelers from 14 nations to single-entry visas to curb unauthorized Hajj pilgrimsStarting February 1, 2025, Saudi Arabia will issue only single-entry visas valid for 30 days to travelers from 14 countries, including Indi...08 Feb, 2025, 08.44 AM IST
- Inflation and economic crises strain pilgrims in this year's Hajj, putting it out of reach for somePrivate tour companies managed to fill their quota, about half of Pakistan's total 179,000 pilgrimage slots. But applications for the gover...23 Jun, 2023, 12.14 PM IST
- Saudi Arabia to reopen to vaccinated tourists after 17-month Covid closureHowever, Saudi Arabia did not announce any lifting of restrictions on the umrah, a pilgrimage that can be undertaken at any time, which usu...30 Jul, 2021, 11.35 AM IST
- Curtailed hajj compounds Saudi economic woesVacant religious sites. Abandoned pilgrim tents. Lifeless hotels. A stunning emptiness - and fears of economic ruin - haunt the usually bus...28 Jun, 2020, 11.54 AM IST
- 290 million students out of school as coronavirus battle intensifiesAs coronavirus spread, other countries have also implemented extraordinary measures, with UNESCO saying Wednesday that 13 countries have cl...05 Mar, 2020, 09.44 AM IST
- Saudis ban Muslim pilgrimage in Mecca over fears about virusLast week, Saudi Arabia closed off the holiest sites in Islam to foreign pilgrims over the coronavirus. That disrupted travel for thousands...04 Mar, 2020, 06.37 PM IST
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