Hajj to return to summer after 25 years

Muscat: The 1447 AH Hajj season will be the last to take place during the summer months for nearly 25 years, according to Hussein al Qahtani, spokesperson for Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology (NCM).

Al Qahtani said future Hajj seasons will gradually shift into cooler periods due to the Islamic lunar calendar, which moves dates earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar.

Beginning next year, the pilgrimage season is expected to fall during spring for around eight years, followed by another eight years in winter before transitioning into autumn. Temperatures are then expected to gradually rise again as Hajj eventually returns to the summer season after nearly a quarter of a century.

The shift is expected to provide pilgrims with milder weather conditions in the coming years, reducing the difficulties often linked to performing Hajj rituals during extreme summer heat.