Hajj 2025 to Be Last Summer Pilgrimage Until 2042

News Desk

Islamabad: The Saudi National Meteorological Center (NMC) has announced that Hajj 2025 will be the last pilgrimage to take place during the intense summer season for at least the next 16 years.

From 2026, the annual pilgrimage will gradually shift toward cooler seasons, first taking place in spring and later moving into winter. The change is a result of the Islamic lunar calendar, which advances by around 10 days each year against the Gregorian calendar.

The shift is expected to provide relief to millions of pilgrims who have faced extreme heat during recent Hajj seasons. During Hajj 2024, temperatures in Makkah reached between 46°C and 51°C, while more than 2,760 cases of heatstroke were reported in a single day, along with several heat-related deaths.

According to the NMC, Hajj will fall in the spring season from 2026 to 2033 before moving into winter from 2034 to 2041. The pilgrimage is expected to return to the summer season in 2042, beginning another cycle of hot-weather Hajj seasons.

Amid rising climate concerns, Saudi authorities have expanded measures to protect pilgrims from extreme temperatures. These include increasing shaded areas, expanding water stations, deploying mobile cooling units and conducting public awareness campaigns on heat-related risks.

For Hajj 2024, Saudi Arabia also introduced 33 new weather monitoring stations and expanded the deployment of mobile radar systems to strengthen real-time weather monitoring at major pilgrimage sites.

More than 1.8 million pilgrims are expected to perform Hajj in 2025, with Saudi authorities describing the event as the final major summer challenge before the pilgrimage enters a prolonged period of cooler seasons.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has approved an additional quota of 10,000 Hajj pilgrims from Pakistan for those who missed the initial registration deadline. The decision followed a formal request from Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.