RIYADH: Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that the annual Haj pilgrimage would begin on June 4 after astronomical observatories spotted the crescent moon, marking the start of Zilhaj.

The date was announced by the supreme court in a statement carried by the official Saudi press agency.

At a press conference on Monday, Tawfiq al-Rabiah, Saudi Arabia’s Haj minister, said that just over a million pilgrims from across the world had already arrived in the country. Last year, 1.8 million pilgrims took part in the Haj, according to official figures.

The date of the pilgrimage is governed by the Islamic lunar calendar, meaning that it shifts each year. In recent years it has taken place during Saudi Arabia’s scorching summer months.

In 2024, temperatures peaked at 51.8 Celsius and more than 1,300 people died in the June sun, according to the authorities.

Worshippers take part in four days of ceremonies, with the high point coming on the second day with mass outdoor prayers on Mount Arafat, the hill where Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) gave his last sermon.

This year, the event will fall on June 5, while Eidul Azha will fall the following day, the Saudi press agency said.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2025