Hajj to Shift to Cooler Seasons from 2026 – Last Summer Pilgrimage This Year

Starting in 2026, the annual Islamic pilgrimage will gradually shift to cooler seasons—spring, winter, and autumn—making the journey more comfortable for millions of worshippers each year.

Hussein Al Qahtani, spokesperson for Saudi Arabia’s National Centre for Meteorology (NCM) said this year marks the last time Hajj will take place during the summer months, reports Gulf News.

He said that the next eight Hajj seasons will take place in spring, followed by eight in winter, then in autumn as temperatures slowly rise, before returning to summer in about 25 years.

The NCM spokesperson noted that this shift is due to the lunar calendar, allowing pilgrims to perform Hajj in cooler, more comfortable weather in the coming years.

The NCM has released a 25-year Hajj calendar showing how future Hajj dates, based on the Islamic (Hijri) calendar, will align with the seasons of the Gregorian calendar until 2050.

Since the Hijri calendar is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year, Hajj moves earlier each year. This means pilgrims will enjoy cooler weather in the coming years until Hajj returns to the summer season around 2050.