Heat, crowd management and increasing dangers: How Saudi Arabia is preparing for this year's hajj

How Saudi Arabia is preparing for this year's hajj

The annual hajj pilgrimage, one of the largest human gatherings in the world, began Wednesday in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, drawing more than a million international pilgrims. But the rising global heat and persistent issues with unregistered pilgrims are adding new urgency to Saudi Arabia’s efforts to manage the pilgrimage safely, the New York Times reported.

More than 1,300 pilgrims lost their lives last year, most of them Egyptians traveling without visas. Temperatures are already reaching above 50°C (122°F) this week, so the 2024 pilgrimage is likely to be one of the hottest on record.

What is the hajj?

The hajj is an obligatory religious ritual for every able-bodied Muslim who is able to afford it, and they are expected to do it only once in their lives. It is done once every year within a certain time frame during the final month of the Islamic calendar and entails a sequence of rituals at Mecca and its environs. Most pilgrims make the trip early to go to Medina and complete the lesser pilgrimage called Umrah prior to the final hajj rituals.

Saudi Arabia's preparations in the spotlight

The kingdom has spent billions on infrastructure over the years, such as multi-tier pathways, air-conditioned tents, high-speed rail connections, and sophisticated crowd-control systems. For 2024, Saudi officials have added rubberized, chilled roads and intend to employ drones to track crowds. Nevertheless, officials admit the main worry is "heat stress," as stressed by health ministry spokesman Khalid Al Tala.

In efforts to minimise risks of unauthorised access, Saudi Arabia has increased enforcement of its hajj permit system. Close to 270,000 individuals have been prevented from entering Mecca without hajj permits so far this year. Perpetrators are punished with a steep fine of 20,000 riyals (approximately $5,300) and a 10-year suspension.

A history of tragedy

Disasters have long affected the hajj. In 2015, over 2,200 pilgrims perished in a stampede, leading authorities to introduce more stringent crowd management measures. In 1985, there were over 1,700 heat-related deaths, and last year, most of the over 1,300 fatalities were attributed to heat stress — especially among unregistered pilgrims who had no access to cooling shelters.

The actual death toll for this year is still in doubt, but nations such as Egypt, Indonesia (199 deaths), and India (98 deaths) have already reported fatalities among their pilgrims.

Climate change is heightening the challenge

The hajj is being increasingly influenced by extreme weather. Pilgrims usually walk over 10 miles a day in full sun, and the blistering heat has made an already gruelling spiritual odyssey a health crisis waiting to happen. On one recent day, 2,700 people were treated for heat exhaustion. Scientists warn that with the Islamic calendar rotating through the solar year, the hajj will continue to fall during summer for the next two decades — and the mid-2040s could bring even more extreme heat.

A permit system under pressure

Since 1987, Saudi Arabia has imposed a quota system that controls the number of pilgrims from each country where Muslims predominate. While Indonesia gets the biggest share — more than 200,000 — it's still nowhere near sufficient to cover demand. Years can pass before an applicant is called on to travel, and official pilgrimage packages that cost more than $10,000 remain out of many Muslims' reach.

Consequently, thousands of pilgrims still try to undertake hajj without valid sanction. Some travel on visitor or tourist visas booked by unlicensed tour operators. Saudi authorities have responded by running message campaigns, cautioning residents and visitors against trying the pilgrimage without a permit.

A pilgrimage under pressure

Saudi Arabia's role as guardian of Islam's most sacred sites puts immense pressure on the kingdom to provide safety and security throughout the hajj. But climate change, logistical complexity, and the spread of unregistered pilgrims make the trip no longer a spiritual one — it's a survival issue.