Hajj rituals officially began on Monday with pilgrims arriving in Mina, western Saudi Arabia, amid extensive services and security measures aimed at facilitating the pilgrimage.
The six-day Hajj season includes the standing at Arafat on Tuesday, overnight stays in Muzdalifah, the symbolic stoning ritual and the farewell circumambulation of the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
The ritual consists of several rites, which are meant to symbolise the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham and his family.
Saudi authorities have expanded organisational and security measures for the 2026 Hajj season, including the use of surveillance technologies and crowd-monitoring systems to manage pilgrim movement and prevent unauthorised entry into the holy sites.
