Over a million pilgrims have engaged in Islam’s most significant rite under the intense sun, as the hajj commenced with Saudi authorities striving to prevent last year’s tragic instances of over 1,000 deaths due to extreme heat.
With temperatures predicted to exceed 40°C, robed pilgrims leisurely circled the Kaaba – the black cube at the center of Mecca’s Grand Mosque, which is the holiest site in Islam.
State media indicated that others had begun to arrive in the vast tent city of Mina on the outskirts of Mecca, where they will rest overnight before the hajj’s pinnacle tomorrow – prayers on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his last sermon.
Approximately 1.4 million pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of the hajj, one of the five fundamental pillars of Islam that every Muslim with the means is required to perform at least once.
Temperatures are anticipated to surpass 40°C in Mecca.
Today, pilgrims will undertake the tawaf – circling the Kaaba seven times, the destination of their daily prayers.
Before entering Mecca, pilgrims must first enter a state of purity known as ihram, which necessitates specific dress and behavior.
Men wear a seamless white garment resembling a shroud that underscores unity among believers, irrespective of their social standing or nationality.
Women, on the other hand, don loose-fitting white dresses, revealing only their faces and hands.
Pilgrims arriving by bus started to trickle into Mina yesterday afternoon, welcomed by staff offering coffee and dates.
“I am so happy; it’s such an incredible feeling,” expressed Reem al-Shogre, a 35-year-old Saudi making her pilgrimage for the first time.
Artificial intelligence is being utilized to manage crowd control.
In response to last year’s deadly heatwave, authorities have deployed over 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials to enhance safety measures.
Shaded areas have been expanded by 50,000 square meters, thousands of additional medical personnel will be on standby, and over 400 cooling units will be set up, as stated by Hajj Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah to AFP last week.
Artificial intelligence technology will assist in processing vast amounts of data, including footage from a new fleet of drones, to manage the enormous crowds more effectively.
Officials noted that most of last year’s fatalities involved unregistered pilgrims who did not have access to air-conditioned tents and transportation.
This year, there has been a strict crackdown on the unregistered, employing frequent raids, drone surveillance, and a series of text alerts.
Hajj permits are allocated to countries based on a quota system and are then distributed to individuals through a lottery process.
However, even for those who manage to secure them, high costs lead many to attempt the hajj without a permit, despite the risk of arrest and deportation if caught.
Large crowds during the hajj have historically been dangerous, most notably in 2015 when a stampede during the “stoning the devil” ritual in Mina resulted in the deaths of up to 2,300 individuals in the deadliest hajj disaster.
Saudi Arabia generates billions of dollars annually from the hajj and the lesser pilgrimage known as umrah, undertaken at various times throughout the year.
