A costly journey to Mecca
The Hajj is meant to be a profoundly spiritual affair: a once-in-a-lifetime submission to the divine, stripped of worldly vanities. This year, however, the path to Mecca has acquired an unwelcome material edge. A sharp surge in aviation fuel prices, triggered by fresh turmoil in the Middle East, has made the pilgrimage noticeably more expensive for Muslims worldwide. Since early 2026, jet-fuel costs have roughly doubled at their peak, climbing from around $88 per barrel in mid-February to highs near $209 in early April. Even after some easing, prices remain uncomfortably elevated. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a…