Makkahمكة المكرمة
The city every Muslim faces five times a day, where life runs to the rhythm of prayer times around Al Masjid Al Haram, and where only Muslims may enter.
Muslim travel at a glance
Halal Food
High
Saudi Arabia's food authority requires halal certificates for imported meat and poultry across the Kingdom. We found no Makkah-specific food source, so this rests on that Kingdom-wide rule.
Prayer Spaces
High
The Grand Mosque in Makkah has around 50 places for ablution inside the mosque, 3,000 toilets in its courtyards and thousands of staff keeping it clean, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Muslim Community
High
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah calls Makkah a central destination for Muslims worldwide, home to the Holy Kaaba and the Grand Mosque, and Visit Saudi says Makkah is open only to Muslims.
Treatment & Hospitality
High
The authority that cares for the Grand Mosque describes carpets, ablution places, toilets, Zamzam containers and hourly cleaning to receive visitors and Umrah performers, and Visit Saudi publishes a visitor guide.
Modest Dress & Hijab
High
Modest dress is required in public places by the Public Decorum Charter, and mosques ask visitors to remove shoes and women to cover their hair. Pilgrims' own dress rules are set out by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
Ramadan Observance
High
The authority for the Grand Mosque announced in 2024 that it was ready to receive visitors and Umrah performers during Ramadan, with new carpets and 4,000 workers cleaning the mosque ten times a day.
Eat
Where to Eat
Saudi Arabia's food authority requires every imported shipment of meat and poultry to carry a halal certificate proving that slaughter took place in a licensed slaughterhouse according to Islamic law, a rule that applies across the Kingdom.
Pray
Where to Pray
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah describes Makkah as the home of the Holy Kaaba and the Grand Mosque. Ahead of Ramadan 1445 the authority that cares for the Grand Mosque said it had fitted the mosque and its courtyards with over 25,000 new carpets, and that some 50 places for ablution inside the mosque and 3,000 toilets in its courtyards were available.
Wander
Neighbourhoods
Visit Saudi says hotels surrounding the Haram remain the preferred choice for many visitors, particularly on shorter stays or when travelling in busy seasons, and that walking is often the most direct way to move within the central area around Al Masjid Al Haram, especially in the early morning or late evening.
Al Masjid Al Haram
The Grand Mosque around the Holy Kaaba, the centre of Makkah.
People
Muslim Community
Makkah serves as a central destination for Muslims worldwide, according to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Visit Saudi says Makkah and parts of Medina are accessible only to Muslims, and that the spiritual significance of Makkah shapes not only the purpose of the journey but also how the city is experienced.
Ramadan
Ramadan in the City
In March 2024 the authority that cares for the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque said it was ready to receive visitors and Umrah performers during Ramadan 1445 Hijri. It reported 4,000 workers washing and disinfecting the Grand Mosque ten times a day to ensure a hygienic environment for visitors and worshippers.
Before you go
Practical Tips
Saudi Arabia's Public Decorum Charter says all visitors to public places shall dress modestly. At mosques all visitors remove their shoes and wear long pants or skirts, and women cover their hair. Makkah is open only to Muslims, so plan Umrah through the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's own channels.
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