Najaf Launches Comprehensive Arbaeen Plan as Thousands of Husseini Processions Prepare to Serve Pilgrims

Najaf Launches Comprehensive Arbaeen Plan as Thousands of Husseini Processions Prepare to Serve Pilgrims
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Najaf Governor Yusuf Maki Kanawi announced the start of the province’s Arbaeen preparations, directing security, health, and service departments to mobilize their resources and operate at full readiness to support the growing number of visitors arriving from inside Iraq and abroad.

The plan includes organizing pilgrim movement and transportation, securing main routes, strengthening medical and municipal services, and ensuring essential supplies are available along the paths used by pilgrims walking toward the holy city of Karbala.

The Najaf Provincial Council has also announced the suspension of official working hours from July 28 to August 2, 2026, in preparation for the increasing influx of pilgrims. The following two days, August 3 and 4, are federal public holidays marking the Arbaeen occasion.

According to the Department of Husseini Rituals and Million-Person Pilgrimages in Najaf, more than 7,500 Husseini service processions have been registered across the province. The registration process aims to organize the distribution of services and coordinate the work of processions located from provincial entry points to the “Ya Hussein” route connecting Najaf and Karbala.

Officials said coordination is ongoing between security agencies, service departments, and relevant institutions to ensure smooth movement of pilgrims and provide food, water, medical assistance, and rest areas throughout the pilgrimage period.

Najaf remains one of the main stations for Arbaeen pilgrims, where many visitors stop to visit the shrine of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) before continuing their journey on foot toward Karbala.