Egypt to End Hajj Bus Trips from 2026

Samira Yusuf

July 31, 2025

Egypt switches entirely to air and sea pilgrim travel due to Saudi Arabia’s new transport regulations.

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Egyptian authorities have decided to discontinue overland Hajj bus trip services for their citizens beginning with the 2026 pilgrimage season.

The announcement follows Saudi Arabia’s plan to use only its own transport fleet for moving pilgrims between the holy sites, effectively banning foreign buses from operating on Saudi roads during Hajj.

Hamza Anaby of the Egyptian Federation of Tourist Chambers told local press that the change represents the biggest overhaul of Egypt’s Hajj logistics in years.

“Saudi Arabia will run all pilgrim transport internally,” Anaby explained. “That means no more Egyptian or other foreign buses entering the Kingdom for Hajj operations.”

In response, Egypt’s Hajj programs will now focus on air and sea travel, with revised or more expensive hajj packages designed to meet the new Saudi regulations while keeping costs reasonable for pilgrims.

The Federation is now in touch with the Ministries of Tourism and Religious Endowments to finalize high-quality, budget-friendly arrangements.

Official 2026 Hajj guidelines—covering flight options, port departures, and on-site transfers—are expected to be released in the coming days.

Pilgrims who previously booked overland journeys will be offered alternative routes via Cairo and Alexandria airports or seaports, which may require paying more to cover the costs.

Saudi Arabia is aiming to increase greater efficiency and safety for millions of pilgrims and to modernize pilgrimage transport under its Vision 2030 framework.