Saudi Arabia has issued stringent health regulations for Hajj 2025, banning pilgrims with certain medical conditions, while Egypt has revoked the licences of 36 travel agencies for Hajj-related violations, officials from both countries said on August 29.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has informed Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs that individuals with complex medical conditions will not be permitted to perform Hajj next year, citing concerns over adverse weather conditions, Ausaf reported on August 29.

A spokesman for Pakistan's religious affairs ministry said the ban extends to people with kidney, heart, lung and liver diseases, as well as cancer patients.

Those suffering from dementia, communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and whooping cough, children under 12 and pregnant women will be barred from participating.

The new regulations also mandate immunisation against meningitis, COVID-19, seasonal influenza and polio for all pilgrims.

These measures come in the wake of the June 2024 Hajj, which coincided with scorching heat and resulted in over 1,300 deaths, mostly among undocumented pilgrims who trekked long distances under the sun, according to Saudi authorities.

Meanwhile, Egypt's government has taken action against travel agencies found to have violated Hajj-related laws. State media reported that 36 agencies have had their licences revoked for organising illegal trips for unregistered Egyptian pilgrims during the past Hajj season.

These companies reportedly sent pilgrims to Saudi Arabia on visit visas, which do not permit holders to perform Hajj rites in and around Mecca.

The aftermath of this year's Hajj pilgrimage has sparked widespread investigations and concerns across the Muslim world, with countries grappling with pilgrim deaths, disappearances and allegations of fraud.

In Jordan, judicial authorities charged 29 individuals with human trafficking and fraud following the deaths of 99 Jordanian pilgrims.

A judicial source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told local media: "The public prosecutor, after completing initial investigations, has charged 29 suspects with human trafficking felony and fraud misdemeanour related to the pilgrims' deaths."

Nineteen suspects, including one woman, have been detained, while ten are barred from travel pending the case.

Earlier, the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq al-Rabiah, announced that this year's Hajj attracted 1.8mn pilgrims from over 200 countries.

Weather warnings remain in place for Saudi Arabia, with temperatures on June 25 reaching 45 degrees Celsius with temperatures remaining in that zone for the next few days.

The Saudi authorities have attempted to cool down the pilgrims by spraying water vapour over large areas and bringing in other technologies to help.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) suggests temperatures are going to keep rising for the next few years. The global mean near-surface temperature for each year between 2024 and 2028 is predicted to be between 1.1°C and 1.9°C higher than the 1850-1900 baseline, according to the WMO report. It says that it is likely (86%) that at least one of these years will set a new temperature record, beating 2023, currently the warmest year.

Last year’s global temperature was boosted by a strong El Niño. The WMO predicts the development of a La Niña and a return to cooler conditions in the tropical Pacific in the near term.