Millions gather at Mount Arafat as hajj reaches peak

Huge numbers of Muslim pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat on Tuesday as the annual hajj pilgrimage reached its spiritual climax under intense desert heat nearing 40 degrees Celsius.

From the early hours of the morning, thousands of worshippers dressed in white robes filled the plains and rocky hill near Mecca, reciting verses from the Quran and offering prayers in one of Islam’s most sacred rites.

Mount Arafat, a 70-metre rocky hill, holds deep religious significance as the site where Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final sermon.

More than 1.5 million pilgrims are participating in this year’s hajj despite growing tensions across the Middle East following the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

During the fighting, Tehran retaliated with waves of drone and ballistic missile strikes, hitting major infrastructure and energy installations across the Gulf, including in Saudi Arabia.

More than 30,000 Iranians have made the journey, about a third of the 86,000 originally expected. Iran’s IRNA state news agency said the “wartime situation” explained the drop.

Despite the war, Saudi officials said over the weekend that more pilgrims had travelled from abroad this year than in 2025.

The hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means to do so.

With temperatures hitting 44 degrees in Mecca in recent days, Saudi authorities have urged pilgrims to drink plenty of water and protect themselves from the sun during the mostly outdoor rituals, which can take five days or more to complete.

Since men are prohibited from wearing hats, many carry umbrellas to try to keep the blistering sun at bay.

After Mount Arafat, pilgrims will spend the night in Muzdalifah, where they will collect pebbles for the symbolic “stoning of the devil” ritual in Mina, starting on Wednesday.

The hajj is said to follow the path of the Prophet Mohammed’s final pilgrimage, about 1,400 years ago.

It has long been an important source of legitimacy for the Al Saud dynasty, whose monarch has the title “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques”, in Mecca and Medina.

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