More than 1.5 million pilgrims from around the world have arrived in Saudi Arabia as the annual Hajj officially began on Monday.
Saudi officials said the pilgrimage is taking place amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty linked to the fragile ceasefire surrounding the Iran conflict. Saleh bin Saad Al Murabba, commander of the Hajj passport forces, confirmed that international pilgrim arrivals had crossed the 1.5 million mark.
