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3d ago

Saudi Arabia Blocks 269,678 Unpermitted Pilgrims Ahead of Hajj

Drones, smart wearables plus 50,000 medical staff monitor pilgrims’ health to curb heat-related risks.

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)
Muslim worshippers gather for prayers at the Grand Mosque complex in the holy city of Mecca
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 Arabia has barred 269,678 unlicensed pilgrims from entering Mecca and imposed fines up to $5,000 and deportation for permit violations.
  • Over 1.4 million officially registered pilgrims had arrived in Mecca by June 2, with additional arrivals expected ahead of Hajj’s June 4 start.
  • Authorities are deploying drones for crowd surveillance and fire control alongside smart wearable devices that track body temperature and heart rate.
  • The Ministry of Health has mobilized 50,000 medical and administrative personnel and treated dozens of heatstroke cases as temperatures exceed 40°C.
  • Last year’s Hajj saw 1,301 heat-related deaths, predominantly among unregistered pilgrims lacking access to air-conditioned shelters.