In focus
Muslim worshippers circle the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia’s Makkah prior to the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. More than 2.3 million Muslims from across the world gathered in the holy city for the pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam. Officials estimate that an average of 107,000 pilgrims circled the Kaaba every hour. Saudi Arabia hopes to welcome 30 million pilgrims annually by 2030 – including Hajj and the Umrah pilgrimage, which can be undertaken any time of the year.