For Hajj visitors, less is often more

ALKHOBAR: For many first-time pilgrims, packing for Hajj begins with uncertainty.

The result is often the same. Overpacked bags, unnecessary items and the quiet realization, days later, that comfort during Hajj depends far less on quantity than expected.

Some arrive carrying multiple pairs of shoes, stacks of clothing and backup items for every possible scenario. Others realize too late that the things they truly needed were much simpler.

“I packed like I was traveling for a month,” 31-year-old pilgrim Reem Al-Harbi from Riyadh told Arab News.

“I brought extra abayas, skincare products, snacks, medicine for things that never even happened. By the second day, I was exhausted just carrying everything.”