More than two million Muslims from around the globe have gathered around Mount Arafat near Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the high point of their annual pilgrimage.

The day-long station at Arafat symbolises Muslims' wait for the day of judgement. They spend the day praying.

Male pilgrims wear a simple uniform of seamless, two-piece, white garments called the Ihram, which also signify their state of purity.

The pilgrims make a sea of white as they stream in their thousands onto the plain of Arafat.

For many, the pilgrimage is the fulfilment of a life-long ambition. All Muslims capable of making the journey are duty-bound to do so.

One of the VIPs invited by the Saudi government this year is the controversial Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on his first pilgrimage.