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3w ago

Saudi Arabia Bars 269,678 Unauthorized Pilgrims Ahead of 1.8 Million-Strong Hajj

Drone monitoring, hefty penalties, new cooling measures form part of Saudi Arabia’s preparation to enforce permit compliance during the June 4–9 pilgrimage.

FILE - A pilgrim offer prayers after she cast stones at a pillar in the symbolic stoning of the devil, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)
FILE - Muslim pilgrims use umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun as they gather outside Nimrah Mosque to offer the noon prayers in Arafat, on the second day of the annual hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, June 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)
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Overview

  • Saudi authorities have intercepted 269,678 individuals without Hajj permits attempting to enter Mecca ahead of this year’s pilgrimage.
  • Organizers expect about 1.8 million pilgrims from June 4 to 9 for this year’s Hajj, with 1.4 million already officially in Mecca under a quota-lottery system.
  • Fines of up to $5,000, deportations, potential 10-year bans, revocation of 400 Hajj company licences and penalties for 23,000 residents underscore the crackdown on illegal participants.
  • Forecast temperatures exceeding 40 °C have prompted the expansion of shaded areas by 50,000 square metres, deployment of over 400 cooling units and the mobilization of thousands of medics following last year’s 1,301 heat-related deaths.
  • For the first time, authorities are using drone surveillance and AI-powered monitoring alongside a mobilization of 250,000 officials from more than 40 agencies to manage crowds and mitigate risks.