Saudi Arabia has announced drastic changes for the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage that begins today, including new rules prohibiting children from accompanying pilgrims, and prioritizing pilgrims traveling for the first time.

Saudi Arabia has barred more than 269,000 people without permits for the annual Hajj pilgrimage from entering Mecca this week, authorities said, as the world's largest annual gathering of people has officially begun.

The kingdom has installed hundreds of coolers and cracked down on unregistered Muslim pilgrims, after 1,300 people died last year.