Hajj 2025: Last summer pilgrimage for the next 16 years

The 2025 Hajj will be the last pilgrimage to take place during the intense summer heat for the next 16 years.

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According to a report in The Express Tribune, Saudi Arabia’s National Meteorological Center has announced that the Islamic calendar is gradually shifting the annual event into cooler months.

Hajj moving into cooler seasons

Starting in 2026, the Hajj pilgrimage will move into spring and continue progressing into winter due to the Islamic lunar calendar’s annual drift of approximately 10 days.

It is expected that the pilgrimage will be held in the spring season from 2026 to 2033, and in the winter season from 2034 to 2042. The pilgrimage will return to the summer season only in 2042.

Relief for pilgrims after years of heat

The news has been welcomed by millions of pilgrims who, in recent years, have dealt with extreme heat during Hajj.

They have braved temperatures ranging between 46°C and 51°C in Makkah during the pilgrimage in 2024, according to a report by Samaa TV.

Hajj 2024: By the numbers

A total of 1,833,164 pilgrims participated in Hajj 2024. This included 221,854 internal pilgrims (12.1 per cent) and 1,611,310 external pilgrims (87.9 per cent).

Among internal pilgrims, 53.5 per cent were men and 46.5 per cent women. Among external pilgrims, 52.1 per cent were men and 47.9 per cent women.

In terms of arrival methods for external pilgrims in 2024, 96.0 per cent arrived in Makkah via air transport, 3.7 per cent by land, and 0.3 per cent by sea.