Pilgrims gather on Mount Arafat as 2026 Hajj reaches climax

Millions of Muslim pilgrims gathered on Mount Arafat on Tuesday for the spiritual peak of the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage, as temperatures climbed close to 40 degrees Celsius in Saudi Arabia.

 

Thousands of worshippers dressed in white robes recited verses from the Holy Quran on the rocky hill near Makkah, where Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his farewell sermon.

 

More than 1.5 million pilgrims are participating in this year’s Hajj despite regional tensions linked to the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

 

Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, reported that more than 30,000 Iranian pilgrims attended the pilgrimage, significantly lower than the 86,000 initially expected due to what it described as the “wartime situation.”

 

Saudi authorities, however, said the number of international pilgrims this year exceeded figures recorded in 2025.

 

Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a religious obligation that every Muslim with the financial and physical means is expected to perform at least once in a lifetime.

 

With temperatures reaching as high as 44 degrees Celsius in recent days, Saudi officials have advised pilgrims to stay hydrated and avoid prolonged exposure to the harsh desert sun.

 

Many pilgrims carried umbrellas for protection as male pilgrims are prohibited from covering their heads during Hajj rites.

 

Following prayers at Mount Arafat, pilgrims are expected to proceed to Muzdalifah, where they will spend the night and gather pebbles for the symbolic “stoning of the devil” ritual in Mina.

 

The Hajj pilgrimage follows the path believed to have been taken by Prophet Mohammed during his final pilgrimage more than 1,400 years ago.

 

Saudi Arabia’s monarchy, whose ruler bears the title Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah, oversees the annual pilgrimage.