Saudi Arabia hosts over 1.5 million foreign pilgrims for Hajj amid security alerts

More than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj, the world’s largest Islamic pilgrimage. Saudi authorities report 1,518,153 arrivals so far, with the bulk entering through airports and hundreds of thousands arriving by land or sea. The kingdom has deployed extensive security measures, including AI‑driven crowd monitoring, thousands of security personnel and a crackdown on illegal pilgrim transports that blocked entry to over 366,000 un‑authorised individuals.

Despite advisories from several governments, including the United States, many participants say they feel safe. An American pilgrim, Fadel, said, “We are in the safest place in the world,” while a British accountant described feeling “very anxious.” Saudi Public Security chief Mohammed al‑Bassami warned that “no practice will divert the Hajj from its religious objectives.” The event proceeds weeks after a major Israeli‑American strike on Tehran and ongoing diplomatic talks between Tehran and Washington, adding a backdrop of regional tension to the massive logistical undertaking.