The spokesperson for the National Centre for Meteorology (NCM), Hussein Al Qahtani announced that this year marks the final Hajj season to coincide with the summer months a change that will last until 2050.
Starting in 2026, the Islamic pilgrimage will gradually shift to milder seasons, beginning with spring, followed by winter, and then autumn. These changes are expected to provide more moderate and comfortable weather conditions for millions of pilgrims each year.
According to Al Qahtani, the next eight Hajj seasons will take place in the spring, followed by eight in winter, and then several in autumn, with temperatures gradually rising before the return of summer conditions in 2050.
This shift is attributed to the lunar Hijri calendar, which is around 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, causing the timing of Hajj to move earlier each year.
The NCM has published a 25-year Hajj calendar outlining the seasonal alignment of future pilgrimage dates. Thanks to this shift, pilgrims will avoid the intense summer heat for the next quarter-century, benefiting from significantly more favorable weather conditions.
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