King Faisal’s Hajj Policy: Making Mecca a Forum for Pan-Islamic Sunni Thought (1964–1975)

Although King Faisal succeeded in tripling the annual number of Hajj pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia, academic researchers have shown little interest in the underlying religious policies. Drawing on diplomatic archives, newspaper articles, pilgrimage narratives, and speeches, this innovative study highlights the role of Hajj policy in Faisal’s efforts to make Mecca a forum for pan-Islamic Sunni thought. For instance, the pilgrimage allowed him to pursue his pan-Islamic ambitions by recruiting influential pilgrims like Malcolm X for the purpose of spreading the Saudi version of Islamic orthodoxy worldwide. The author also discusses how issues of heterodoxy and geopolitics shaped Faisal’s policy approach, which involved encouraging visits by pilgrims from powerful Muslim countries while seeking to exclude Ahmadis, Southern Yemenis, and Israeli Muslims. Finally, this chapter examines how Faisal used Hajj policy to secure support from other Muslim states for Palestinian liberation.