Major changes are afoot for one of the best-known and most notorious religious pilgrimages in the world, with children banned from taking part and changes to visa rules expected to limit access for many would-be participants.
What is Hajj?
Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia which all Muslims are expected to undertake at least once in their lifetime, usually attracts over two million visitors every year, with well over half of those coming from outside the Kingdom.
One of the Five Pillars of Islam, the trip to the sacred city of Mecca involves a number of traditional rites, including wearing a single piece of unstitched white clothing (Ihram), and walking counter-clockwise seven times around the Kaaba, the city’s “House of Allah”.
It is this extraordinary ceremony that is often seen in news footage when overcrowding causes fatal mass crushing incidents in the heat of the Saudi Arabian summer. At least 1,301 people are reported to have died due to extreme temperatures in 2024. The deadliest incident took place in 2015, when over 2000 people were suffocated or crushed.
Set to take place June 4 to June 9, 2025, this year’s event is now subject to steps to try to address the security and safety of pilgrims, including the improvement of shelters and paths and the implementation of advanced crowd management systems.
Children under 12 not welcome
For the first time ever children will be banned from taking part. Organising body, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, has said it’s a step being taken “to ensure the safety and well-being of children and to mitigate any potential harm during the Hajj pilgrimage.” This means would-be pilgrims will have to leave children under the age of 12 behind and find carers for them.
While some have welcomed the child ban as a sensible measure, various news outlets are reporting chaos at small travel agencies. Tour operators have been inundated with requests for refunds by families who do not wish to undertake the “trip of a lifetime” without their offspring.
First-time pilgrims get priority and multi-entry visas stopped
But the ban on young pilgrims is not the only change to Hajj in 2025 causing ripples throughout the Muslim world. When it comes to the registration for entries, which is now open and takes place on the Nusuk app, “priority is given to those who have not performed Hajj before” the Ministry has announced.
🔴 Important Update
— Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (@MoHU_En) February 8, 2025
Hajj interest registration is now open for Saudi citizens and residents for the 1446 AH/2025 season!
Sign up now through the #Nusuk_App or the Nusuk Masar platform, update your health details, add companions, and submit a Mahram exemption request if needed.… pic.twitter.com/5M5biY0BQb
And in another move intended to improve safety at the event, visa conditions are being adjusted for a range of countries whose citizens are highly likely to attend. Citizens from 14 nations (Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen) will no longer be eligible for multi-entry visas and will instead only be issued with single-entry visas valid for 30 days. This shift is intended to stop unregistered pilgrims from tagging Hajj onto other trips, giving organisers better control over the numbers making the sacred journey.
