MECCA, Saudi Arabia – More than a million Muslim pilgrims poured into the holy city of Mecca ahead of the annual hajj, with authorities vowing to hold a safer pilgrimage amid searing desert heat and a massive crackdown on illegal visitors.
Temperatures were forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius this week as one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings officially commences on Wednesday.
The hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means.
As of Friday, more than 1.3 million pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia for the multi-day pilgrimage, according to officials.
This year, authorities have mobilized more than 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials, doubling their efforts to mitigate heat-related risks following a lethal heatwave in 2024 that left hundreds dead.
Shaded areas have been expanded by 50,000 square meters, thousands more medics will be on standby, and more than 400 cooling units will be deployed for the duration of the hajj, Saudi Arabia’s hajj minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah told AFP last week.
The latest artificial intelligence software will also help monitor the flood of information and footage, including video from a new fleet of drones, from across Mecca to better manage the mammoth crowds.
Despite the punishing heat, pilgrims were overjoyed as they arrived in Mecca.
“This is really a blessing from Allah,” Abdul Majid Ati, a Filipino lawyer and Sharia counselor, told AFP near the Grand Mosque.
“We feel so peaceful and safe in this place.”
