May 28, 2025 – Saudi Arabia has officially announced the dates for the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage. This year, the annual pilgrimage in Mecca will commence on June 4, which corresponds to 8th Dhul-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar.

The Islamic calendar is lunar-based, so the dates of the Hajj pilgrimage change each year. 

The announcement was made by the Saudi Supreme Court through a statement issued by the official Saudi Press Agency. Last night, May 27, Saudi Arabia’s space observatory confirmed the sighting of the crescent moon, marking the beginning of the Dhul-Hijjah month. The announcement was made after the crescent moon was sighted in various parts of the Kingdom.

Earlier, the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia had issued a call to all Muslims in the Kingdom to observe the sky on the 29th of Dhul Qadah i.e. May 27. 

With the sighting of the moon, the dates for Eid al-Adha were also confirmed. Eid al-Adha, the second most significant festival for Muslims globally, coincides with the annual Haj pilgrimage in Makkah and  is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah.

The moon was sighted in Saudi Arabia on the night of May 27, meaning that the month of Dhul-Hijjah officially begins on May 28, 2025. Therefore, the day of Arafah will be observed on Thursday, June 5, and, Eid al-Adha will be celebrated in Saudi Arabia on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, which falls on June 6. 

However, in countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Malaysia, Eid al-Adha date could vary depending on local moon sightings.

Nearly one million pilgrims from around the world have already arrived in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage this year. According to official data, 1.8 million Muslims participated in the Hajj last year.