A UAE satellite has captured a stunning photograph of the Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah on the first afternoon of Eid Al Adha.

As cloud cover disperses, thousands of worshippers can be seen circulating the Kaaba or House of God in Saudi Arabia.

The Hajj - meaning 'heading to a place' - is considered mandatory for all Muslims at least once in their lifetime provided they are physically fit and able to do so.

The satellite, called KhalifaSat, was the first to be designed and built by UAE engineers and was launched from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Centre last year.

Since then, the imagery it has captured has been used in assisting with urban planning as well as monitoring environmental changes.

This year, more than 2.5 million Muslims from around the world have converged on Makkah for a series of rituals that retrace the Prophet Mohammed's last pilgrimage to the site.