Mecca

Is Mecca safe for pilgrims?

Mecca is a low-crime city, and the dangers pilgrims face are heat, crowds and traffic rather than theft or assault. Only Muslims may enter: Canada's travel advice says non-Muslims are forbidden from travelling to the holy city. Saudi Arabia recorded 0.80 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2024, and 93% of people there told Gallup they feel safe walking alone at night.

The deadly risks come at the Hajj. In 2024 the Saudi health minister counted 1,301 deaths during the pilgrimage, 83% of them among pilgrims without a permit, when the temperature in Mecca reached 51.8°C. The war adds a newer risk. Houthi drones have been aimed at the Makkah region in 2026, and the UK now advises against all but essential travel to Saudi Arabia. Mecca's factors average 70, but the score is capped at 65, the ceiling for every Saudi city.

Heat and the Hajj

Most Hajj deaths come from heat, not accidents. The Saudi health minister said many of the 1,301 people who died in 2024 had walked long distances in direct sun without shelter, and several were elderly or chronically ill. Saudi Arabia turned away more than 300,000 people without permits that year, The National reported.

The Hajj comes about 11 days earlier each year, so it stays in the hot season for years to come: it fell on 25–30 May in 2026 (CDC), and Canada expects 14–19 May in 2027. For the 2026 Hajj, Saudi officials forecast 47°C in Mecca and told pilgrims to carry umbrellas.

• Do the outdoor rites at the times your group is given, and avoid walking long distances in the midday sun.
• Drink water often, use an umbrella and rest in shade between rites.
• If someone becomes confused or collapses in the heat, call 911 at once; Canada warns that heatstroke can be fatal.

Crowds and crushes

Crowding is the oldest risk of the Hajj, which drew 1.83 million pilgrims in 2024. On 24 September 2015 a crush at Mina killed 769 people by Saudi Arabia's official count; an Associated Press tally of national reports put the toll at least 2,411. Canada still warns that pilgrims have been killed or injured in stampedes at religious sites.

Stay with your group, agree on a meeting point before each rite, and keep to the times your group leader gives you for each rite. Older pilgrims and people with heart or lung conditions should ask a doctor before going, since crowds and heat strain the body together.

Infections, vaccines and the air

Saudi Arabia requires every pilgrim aged one or older to show a meningococcal ACWY vaccination given at least 10 days before arrival, the CDC and FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary say. The rule matters: in early 2025 WHO linked 11 cases of invasive meningococcal disease in several countries to Umrah, and Saudi authorities estimated that only 54% of foreign Umrah pilgrims had complied. Coughs and flu spread fast during Hajj and Ramadan, the FCDO warns.

MERS, a coronavirus carried by camels, is rare but still present. Saudi Arabia reported eight cases and one death between January and October 2026, two of them in nearby Taif (WHO). Avoid camels and raw camel milk. The air is dusty: the WHO database gives Mecca province 27.6 µg/m³ of PM2.5PM2.5Tiny airborne particles 2.5 micrometres across or smaller. They reach deep into the lungs and are the air pollutant most linked to early death.More in the glossary for 2024. Hospitals in the big cities are of a high standard, the FCDO says.

Houthi drones over the Makkah region

The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on 15 September 2026 before it reached the city's restricted airspace, and another over the Makkah region on 30 October. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca both times. Debris from a drone shot down over Taif killed one man on 17 September, and on 24 October civil defence briefly warned residents of Mecca, Jeddah and Taif after missiles were fired at Taif and Yanbu. Nobody has been hurt in Mecca.

If an alert comes to your phone, go indoors to a room with few windows and wait for the all-clear. Do not film interceptions; the US says Saudi authorities have detained people for taking photos.

Medina, the second holy city

Many pilgrims also travel to Medina, which Canada names with Mecca as one of the two holy cities. The risks are much the same as in Mecca, with slightly cleaner air (19.4 µg/m³ for Medina province in 2024). The coalition said it shot down drones over Medina on 21 and 22 October 2026, which the Houthis denied launching. The road between the two cities is the main danger: on 17 November 2025, 45 Indian Umrah pilgrims died when their bus hit a fuel tanker on the way to Medina.

Booking, scams and the roads

Book Hajj only through the Nusuk Hajj platform; the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says it is the only way to get a place, and that UK-based criminals sell fake packages, often to people over 65. In 2024 Egypt revoked the licences of 16 companies that had sent pilgrims on personal visit visas, which bar holders from entering Mecca through official channels. For Umrah, use an ATOL-protected operator and pay by credit card.

Saudi Arabia counted 12.05 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2025, down from 28.8 in 2016 but still high, and Canada says fatal car accidents are frequent and speeding is common. Choose an operator with modern coaches, wear a seatbelt on every transfer, and ask your group how transfers between Jeddah, Mecca and Medina are run.

How we scored it

Walking at night (90) is Mecca's strongest factor, the same as Riyadh and Jeddah. Traffic safety (46) is the weakest, on the national death rate and the bus crashes that kill pilgrims, followed by natural hazards (50) for the Hajj heat. Health and environment (58) covers dust, infections and crowd crushes. The weighted average of the factors is 70, but the overall score is capped at 65 (Saudi Arabia's conflict score of 30 + 35): a city cannot score above its country's conflict ceiling, because missiles and attacks do not stop at city limits.