Saudi Arabia says Hajj to start on June 14

Riyadh (AFP)

Saudi Arabia said the Hajj 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 Hijjah, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar, would begin on Friday, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken at least once by all Muslims with the means.

The Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha will fall on June 16, SPA said.

At a press conference on Thursday, Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, the Saudi hajj 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 Hajj.