Saudi Arabia has officially announced that this year’s Hajj pilgrimage will begin on 4 June, following the sighting of the crescent moon, which marks the beginning of the lunar month in the Islamic calendar.
The date was confirmed in a statement released by the kingdom’s supreme court and published by the official Saudi Press Agency.
At a press briefing held on Monday, Tawfiq al-Rabiah, Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Hajj, stated that over a million pilgrims from around the world had already arrived in the country ahead of the five-day religious observance.
According to official figures, 1.8 million Muslims participated in the Hajj in 2024. The pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a religious duty that every able-bodied Muslim must undertake at least once in their lifetime.
Also read: CM Omar flags off first batch of Haj Pilgrims from Srinagar
The timing of the Hajj is determined by the Islamic lunar calendar, causing it to shift annually. In recent years, the pilgrimage has coincided with Saudi Arabia’s intense summer heat. Last year, temperatures reached a sweltering 51.8 degrees Celsius, resulting in more than 1,300 deaths, according to government data.
The Hajj consists of four days of elaborate rituals. The pinnacle of the pilgrimage occurs on the second day, with mass outdoor prayers on Mount Arafat — the site where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final sermon.
This year, the primary gathering at Mount Arafat is scheduled for 5 June, while Eid al-Adha — the festival of sacrifice — will be observed the following day, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
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