Women can now undertake Islamic pilgrimages without a male guardian in Saudi Arabia, but that doesn't mean they're traveling alone -- communities are an important part of the religious experience

American Muslim women on pilgrimage at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina in 2023. Iqbal Akhtar, CC BY-NC

Saudi Arabia has changed its decadeslong rule that mandated single women be accompanied by a male relative when performing an Islamic pilgrimage, facilitating the participation of thousands of single Muslim women in the Hajj in 2023.

The new rules don’t apply just during the Hajj. Women can also perform the Umrah, known as the “lesser pilgrimage,” or other routine pilgrimages such as ziyarat that can be undertaken any time of the year to Islamic holy sites, without a “mahram,” or male guardian.