On Monday, pilgrims began flocking to the holy site of Mina to spend the Day of Tarwiyah, as Saudi Arabia activated one of the world's largest crowd management systems to receive millions of pilgrims within a matter of days.
اضافة اعلان
Saudi authorities deployed an integrated network of transportation, group dispatching, health, and security services, supported by digital systems to monitor crowd movement and facilitate the transit of pilgrims between the holy sites, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel confirmed that the Hajj season remains free of any epidemic or viral outbreaks. He reassured pilgrims regarding concerns over the "Hanta" virus, emphasizing that the health status of the guests of God is "reassuring."
The Al-Mashaaer Al-Mugaddassah Metro line launched its first trips on Sunday morning to transport pilgrims between Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah through a network comprising nine stations. The train’s operational capacity reaches 72,000 passengers per hour, with a plan to transport over two million passengers during the season across 2,000 trips.
Saudi authorities stated that the metro helps reduce congestion by replacing more than 50,000 bus trips, operating as part of a transit system that includes 17 trains working in coordination with security and service agencies.
The movement of pilgrims to Mina was accompanied by a wide deployment of security personnel across roads, tunnels, and bridges leading to the holy sites. Meanwhile, relevant authorities intensified their health, ambulance, cleaning, sterilization, and spatial guidance services inside Mecca and the holy sites.
Furthermore, the Saudi Ministry of Health urged pilgrims to adhere to preventive guidelines and use umbrellas to mitigate the risks of heat exhaustion and heatstroke, noting that umbrellas help reduce the ambient temperature around a pilgrim by approximately 10 degrees Celsius.
SPA confirmed that competent authorities continue to implement integrated operational plans that rely on modern technologies and digital services to manage crowds and guide pilgrims in multiple languages, thereby enhancing their safety and facilitating their movements during the rituals.
Mina accommodates more than 2.6 million pilgrims within developed camps stretching over an area of 2.5 million square meters. This year, authorities have increased shaded areas, rest zones, and pedestrian pathways as part of plans to enhance the Hajj experience and counter heat exhaustion.
