How technology is making Hajj safer

Egyptian pilgrims share an umbrella outside the Grand Mosque. The coming together of such a large cross-section of humanity presents many serious challenges for organisers. AP

When The National visited Dubai International Airport this week to interview Emiratis preparing to fly to Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage that begins today, 45-year-old Abdullah Al Mutawa from Ras Al Khaimah summed up the feelings of many of them well. “I’m thrilled,” he said. “I can’t describe the joy of travelling finally for Hajj.”

Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many Muslims, millions of whom save for years to travel and fulfil this solemn religious duty. The joy of completing this sacred journey is also matched with the understanding of how daunting the rituals can be for many. The coming together of such a large cross-section of humanity requires much work from the Saudi organisers: how to maintain crowd safety, ensure swift medical treatment for those who need it, combat the extreme heat of the Saudi summer and generally ensure a secure and orderly experience for the pilgrims.

A closer look at this year’s preparations, however, not only reveals the evolution of the Hajj in Saudi Arabia but also suggests ways in which other mass gatherings can be more safely managed.

Technology features heavily in this year’s Hajj safety efforts. This week, the Saudi authorities switched on the world’s largest cooling system inside Makkah’s Grand Mosque. With a total capacity of 155,000 refrigeration tonnes, the two cooling stations also remove 95 per cent of impurities to protect pilgrims from air pollution. Drones will be used to carry medicines to pilgrims, slashing delivery times by avoiding traffic and crowds, and last month, Saudi Minister of Media Salman Al Dossary said that more than 5,000 communications towers, more than 9,000 5G and 4G stations and over 2,000 kilometres of optical fibre would be used for crowd and pilgrim management.

The enormity of managing an event like Hajj also continues to spur innovation. In April, the airline Saudia – the kingdom’s flag carrier – introduced a high-tech line of ihram clothing complete with special cooling minerals and UPF 50+ sun protection. The country has also rolled out a major update to its Nusuk card, a unified ID issued to each pilgrim and worker during the Hajj season that contains the holder’s health and residential information. This helps people move more easily between the Grand Mosque and other holy sites associated, and speeds up medical treatment in the case of an emergency.

Successfully managing such a colossal number of people in a very small space requires a joined-up approach that blends logistics, security, health care and immigration

The work to make Hajj as safe as possible begins before the pilgrimage even starts. As well as requiring visiting pilgrims to prove that they have vaccinations against yellow fever, meningitis, polio, Covid and influenza, the authorities also ensure that only those who are registered can take part; last week 26 people in Saudi Arabia were arrested for taking more than 80 pilgrims to Makkah to perform the Hajj without a permit, a reckless offence that puts people’s lives at risk.

Successfully managing such a colossal number of people in a very small space requires a joined-up approach that blends logistics, security, health care and immigration. Although not every country has the resources to introduce smart platforms or real-time crowd-control analytics, observing how Hajj management uses quota systems, pre-emptive planning and rigorously enforced laws might offer some lessons on how to make major mass gatherings a safe space for reflection and fulfilment.