Hajj 2025 to be the last summer pilgrimage until 2042

Summer pilgrimage

The Saudi National Meteorological Center announced this week that the upcoming Hajj season in 2025 will be the last to take place during the sweltering summer months for the next 16 years.

Beginning in 2026, the annual Islamic pilgrimage will shift into progressively cooler seasons—first into spring and eventually into winter—due to the Islamic lunar calendar’s gradual drift.

This shift, driven by the calendar’s 10-day annual regression, comes as a welcome change for millions of pilgrims who have endured extreme heat in recent years. During Hajj 2024, temperatures in Mecca soared to between 46°C and 51°C, resulting in more than 2,760 reported cases of heatstroke in a single day, along with multiple heat-related deaths.

According to the NMC, Hajj will fall during the spring months from 2026 to 2033, before entering a prolonged winter cycle lasting through 2041. The pilgrimage will not return to the summer season until 2042, beginning a new nine-year stretch of warmer-weather rituals.

Saudi authorities, aware of the rising risks posed by extreme heat, have stepped up efforts in recent years to safeguard pilgrims. Measures include the installation of expansive shaded areas, an increase in water stations, the deployment of mobile cooling units, and public heat-awareness campaigns.

In 2024, the Kingdom introduced 33 new weather monitoring stations and expanded the use of mobile radars to enhance real-time climate tracking across Hajj zones.

With more than 1.8 million pilgrims expected for Hajj 2025, authorities say they are preparing for one final summer challenge before the pilgrimage enters what many hope will be a safer, cooler, and more sustainable future.

Gulf News