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Saudi Arabia Bars 270,000 Unpermitted Pilgrims, Strengthens Heat Safeguards for Hajj

Expanded shaded areas, cooling units and drone surveillance aim to protect pilgrims from searing temperatures

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 turned back 269,678 individuals without Hajj permits at Mecca checkpoints and imposed fines up to $5,000 or deportation on those caught
  • More than 1.3 million pilgrims have arrived for the June 4–9 rites, with overall attendance forecast at around 1.8 million
  • Officials mobilized over 250,000 staff, thousands of medics and introduced AI-linked drones to monitor crowds and respond to emergencies
  • Heat mitigation measures include expanding shaded walkways by 50,000 square metres and deploying over 400 cooling units across ritual sites
  • Crackdown efforts have also led to the revocation of 400 Hajj company licenses and penalties for 23,000 residents to curb dangerous unauthorized participation