Saudi Arabia on Thursday said that Haj 2024 will start on June 14 after astronomical observatories spotted the crescent Moon on Thursday evening, signalling the beginning of the month in which the annual pilgrimage falls.
The Supreme Court determined that Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar, would begin on Friday, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.
The Haj pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken at least once by all Muslims with the means.
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It involves a series of rituals completed over at least four days in Makkah and its surroundings in the west of Saudi Arabia.
The high point comes on the second day, when pilgrims gather for prayers on Mount Arafat.
That will occur on June 15 this year, and the Muslim holiday of Eid Al Adha will fall on June 16, SPA said.
Last year more than 1.8 million Muslims took part in the Haj pilgrimage, according to official figures.
At a press conference on Thursday, Tawfiq al-Rabiah, the Saudi Haj and Umrah minister, said “approximately 1.2 million pilgrims from various countries of the world” had already arrived in Saudi Arabia for this year’s Haj.