The hajj, one of the largest annual human gatherings in the world, begins on Wednesday in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Amid rising temperatures and logistical challenges, the pilgrimage has increasingly become a test of endurance both for pilgrims and the Saudi government.
Millions of Muslims from around the world travel to the city to take part; Saudi Arabia said 1,475,230 pilgrims from abroad have arrived since Sunday. Last year, the Saudi government said more than 1,300 pilgrims died, many from Egypt. Most of those who perished had been unregistered, Saudi officials said, meaning they had made the trip without the permits that gave them access to heat protections.
Here’s what to know about this year’s hajj and efforts to make it safer.
What is the hajj?
The hajj is one of Islam’s five pillars, the core practices that define a Muslim’s faith, alongside daily prayer, charity, fasting during the month of Ramadan and the declaration of faith in one God and the Prophet Muhammad as a messenger of God.
For the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest city in Islam, every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it is expected to undertake the journey at least once.
The hajj takes place once a year during a specific period in the final month of the Islamic calendar. Most pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia well in advance, using the time to visit the holy city of Medina, pray in Mecca’s grand mosque and perform a lesser pilgrimage called Umrah.
What are the Saudi authorities doing to prepare?
The stakes are high for Saudi Arabia, which considers itself the guardian of Islam’s holiest sites. The government has poured billions of dollars into expanding infrastructure in Mecca and Medina, building multilevel pathways, high-speed trains and sophisticated crowd-control systems.
In preparation for this year’s hajj season, officials say they are expanding rubberized and cooled roads that reduce surface temperatures by several degrees. Drones will also be used to monitor pilgrims’ movements.
“Heat stress remains the biggest challenge this season,” said Khalid Al Tala, a Saudi health ministry spokesman.
The Saudi authorities have also undertook a campaign this year to prevent would-be pilgrims without official permits from traveling to the kingdom, canceling many of the visitor visas that were used in the past to skirt restrictions on entering Mecca during hajj season. As of Sunday, officials said they had stopped 269,678 people without permits. Violators face a fine of 20,000 riyals, about $5,300, and a 10-year ban from entering the kingdom.
What happened in past disasters?
The hajj has seen several catastrophes over the years.
After a stampede in 2015 killed more than 2,200 people, the Saudi authorities introduced tighter scheduling and route management to prevent dangerous overcrowding.
Even in a typical year, many pilgrims who are often older and ailing die during the arduous journey. In August 1985, more than 1,700 people died around the holy sites, mostly from heat stress, a study found.
Last year’s heat deaths have refocused attention on the risks from rising temperatures.
The number of unregistered pilgrims has most likely contributed to a lack of clarity about the toll from 2024. Hundreds of Egyptian pilgrims died, many of them unregistered. Indonesia reported 199 deaths, and India 98, but they said they could not be sure that heat had caused all the deaths.
How is climate change affecting the pilgrimage?
The hajj has always been physically demanding. Pilgrims often walk more than 10 miles each day under the scorching desert sun. But in recent years, climate change has made the experience significantly more dangerous.
Temperatures during the 2024 hajj soared past 50 degrees Celsius, or 122 degrees Fahrenheit, on some days. Over 2,700 people in one day experienced heat exhaustion, according to Saudi health officials. As of Tuesday, health officials said they treated 62 heat stress-related cases among pilgrims. Most of the deaths recorded last year, according to the Saudi authorities, were among unregistered pilgrims who lacked access to air-conditioned tents and official cooling centers.
The shifting Islamic lunar calendar means that the hajj will continue to fall during the warmer months for at least several years, further compounding the risk.
Scientists warn that temperatures will be even higher the next time the hajj occurs in the summer, starting in the mid-2040s.
Who gets permission to go to the hajj?
In 1987, Saudi Arabia introduced a quota system for hajj permits for each Muslim-majority country, typically based on population size. Indonesia, for example, receives over 200,000 permits each year. But demand far exceeds supply. In many countries, the wait can stretch years, even decades. And for many Muslims, especially those from lower-income backgrounds, the high cost of official packages — which can exceed $10,000 — puts the hajj out of reach.
This has led to a growing number of people attempting the pilgrimage without official permits. Many arrive on tourist or visitor visas arranged by unlicensed operators.
In the lead-up to the pilgrimage, Saudi residents have received near-daily text messages warning them against trying to undertake the hajj without permission.
Vivian Nereim contributed reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ismaeel Naar is an international reporter for The Times, covering the Gulf states. He is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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