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The US-Iran war has sent the cost of Hajj 2026 soaring Lina Jaradat

Hajj 2026 could be the costliest season on record

Pilgrims continue to stream into Mecca despite rising travel costs and regional tensions following war in the Gulf.

Amer Ziab Al-Tamimi 26 May 2026
Installation "The Black Arch" by Saudi sisters Raja and Shadia Alem is seen at the pavilion of Saudi Arabia taking part in the Venice Biennale for the first time on 2 June 2011, in Venice, Italy. Marco Secchi / Getty

Shadia Alem and the art of sacred continuity

From Mecca to the global stage, Saudi artist Shadia Alem's work unfolds as a continuous practice shaped by memory, spirituality, and place

Mimoza Al-Arrawi 18 March 2026
Lady Evelyn Cobbold, a Scottish aristocrat who converted to Islam and performed the Hajj in 1933, becoming the first British Muslim woman to do so. Getty Images

The Orientalists who entered Mecca in disguise

For centuries, Mecca was the pinnacle of exploration for Western travellers. Shrouded in mystery, it captured the imagination of a small but daring group of European Orientalists

Abdullah Al-Rashid 06 June 2025
Lina Jaradat

The world's first coffeehouse was in Mecca

In 1511, there were places in Mecca specifically designated for selling and drinking coffee, known as coffee houses. Decades later, the first café opened in Istanbul.

Abdullah Al-Rashid 15 November 2024
  • Popular
  • Editor's Pick
Gregori Saavedra
Politics

The World Cup has always been a pitch for global politics

08 June 2026

From Hitler and Mussolini to South American dictators, world leaders have long seen in football's biggest tournament an opportunity to further an agenda

Mohamed Qutob
Nash
Science & Technology

2026 World Cup: football in the age of AI

09 June 2026

From 3D players to data-transmitting balls, the sport's biggest tournament is awash with technology to help with everything from offside decisions to viewer angles, but does this come at a cost?

Marco Mossad
Al Majalla
Politics

Trump started a war he can’t control

09 June 2026

Netanyahu continues to defy calls from Washington to pump the brakes on Israel's offensive in Lebanon, something Iran has linked to a future peace deal

John Haltiwanger
Axel Rangel Garcia
Politics

Why is Iran targeting Kuwait and Bahrain?

10 June 2026

While it could be tied to military calculations related to the current US-Iran war, it also reflects a deeper struggle between two opposing regional visions

Al Majalla - London
Al Majalla
Culture & Social Affairs

Al Majalla’s Film Watch: football on the big screen

11 June 2026

We highlight some of the most notable movies centred on the world's most coveted sport

Wael Said

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OPINIONS

2026 World Cup: football in the age of AI

Marco Mossad
Marco Mossad

The World Cup has always been a pitch for global politics

Mohamed Qutob

Why Bahrain has long been in Iran's crosshairs

Hasan Alhasan
Hasan Alhasan

Al Majalla’s Film Watch: football on the big screen

Wael Said
Wael Said
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