MOUNT ARAFAT, SAUDI ARABIA – Muslim pilgrims congregated atop Mount Arafat on Thursday, marking the pivotal moment of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Saudi officials concurrently urged participants to avoid outdoor exposure during the day’s hottest hours.
Thousands of pilgrims began gathering before dawn around the revered hill and its surrounding plains, where Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final sermon. While some arrived early to capitalize on the comparatively cooler morning temperatures, many will remain for hours of prayers and Quran recitations until evening, enduring the most arduous phase of the Hajj. Following sunset, they will proceed to Muzdalifah, situated between Arafat and the expansive tent city of Mina, to collect pebbles for the symbolic “stoning of the devil” ritual.
“This is something that I used to see every year on the TV screen during Hajj and I always thought: ‘I wish I could be here’,” expressed Ali, a 33-year-old pilgrim from Pakistan, among the 1.5 million faithful who have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage. “I’ve been trying to get here… for the past three years,” he added, gazing at the mount, “I feel very blessed.”
Hundreds of pilgrims, clad in white, dotted the mount itself, with many more at its base engaged in prayer or photography.
Earlier this week, Saudi authorities issued a directive advising pilgrims to remain inside their tents between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM on Thursday, periods when the desert sun is most intense. Temperatures this year have already surpassed 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) as one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings, attracting devotees globally, commenced earlier in the week.
Officials have intensified heat mitigation efforts to prevent a recurrence of last year’s Hajj, which saw 1,301 pilgrim fatalities as temperatures reached 51.8°C. “I came here early to (avoid) the sun and later I will pray inside my tent,” stated 54-year-old Adel Ismail from Syria.
To enhance safety for this year’s pilgrimage, authorities have expanded infrastructure, deployed thousands of additional personnel, and leveraged a suite of high-tech tools to optimize crowd management. More than 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials have been mobilized, doubling their efforts against heat-related illnesses following the lethal heatwave of 2024. The Hajj Minister informed AFP that shaded areas have been expanded by 50,000 square meters (12 acres), thousands more medics will be on standby, and over 400 cooling units will be deployed.
Authorities reported that a majority of the 2024 fatalities were among unregistered pilgrims who lacked access to essential amenities such as air-conditioned tents and buses. This year, stringent measures have been implemented to crack down on unregistered pilgrims attempting to enter Mecca, utilizing frequent raids, drone surveillance, and a barrage of text alerts.
Hajj permits are allocated to countries on a quota basis and distributed to individuals via a lottery system. However, the substantial costs associated with obtaining permits often compel many to attempt the Hajj without official authorization, despite the risk of arrest and deportation.
Historically, large crowds at the Hajj have resulted in fatal incidents, most notably in 2015 when a stampede during the “stoning the devil” ritual in Mina claimed up to 2,300 lives, marking the deadliest Hajj disaster.
Saudi Arabia generates billions of dollars annually from the Hajj and the lesser pilgrimage, Umrah, which is undertaken at other times of the year.
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