See how the Hajj is run behind the scenes | Politics

Mecca _ When more than two million pilgrims flock to the holy sites, the Mecca and its surroundings into a restless beating heart, managed by a complex system of people, technology, and logistics plans.

While the media lenses are busy reporting the rituals and spiritual scenes, the biggest part of the story remains hidden behind the scenes, as there are thousands of employees, volunteers, engineers, soldiers, doctors, and everyone devoted to serving the pilgrims, in a task that is repeated every year but whose details are never the same.

The Hajj season is a huge annual project for which preparations begin as soon as the previous season ends. More than 40 government and private organizations are involved in the planning, and a comprehensive evaluation of everything that happened in the previous season, including challenges and emergency incidents, to build on them for continuous improvement and development.

Sources at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah indicate that the working teams start holding regular meetings since the month of Muharram every year, and continue at an escalating pace until the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, and the planning stages include designing schedules, bus routes, securing accommodation, distributing health services, and linking centralized data between the participating parties.

Command and control

The Hajj Security Command and Control Center, located in Mina Hairy MinaThe heart of the Hajj administration, this center manages the movement of crowds and monitors all vital sites in the Haram and the shrines in real time.

The center is equipped with giant screens that display live feeds from thousands of deployed cameras. artificial intelligence to analyze population density and detect any abnormal congestion that may require quick intervention.

The services of the center, which relies mainly on the availability of high-quality cameras along the feelings and in the central area, are integrated with the services provided by the central leadership in the field to transmit the image directly, follow up on cases and direct field workers to these cases.

The center is managed in most stages of its work through modern technical means through the center’s television surveillance room, in addition to following up on events throughout the entire Hajj work area.

From the command room to the monitoring and control room, real-time data related to pilgrims is tracked from their departure from their countries until their return after performing the rituals, passing through all stages of accommodation, transportation, food and tawafuj.

The monitoring and control room is not a traditional operations room, but a model for smart Hajj, says Marwan Al-Zuhri, director of public information at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, adding that the room uses artificial intelligence algorithms, data analytics, and a network of cameras and systems linked to camps, residences and buses to provide proactive solutions, not just reactive ones.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Al-Zuhri noted that the room closely follows the operations of the pilgrims to the Haram and the holy sites, and verifies that the timetables for pilgrims to leave their residences, perform rituals and return on time, to ensure smooth movement and minimize overcrowding.

Logistics side

Moving more than two million people simultaneously from Mecca to Mina, then to Arafat, Muzdalifa, and then back to Mina is a huge logistical operation, similar to managing the movement of entire countries in a few days, and the transportation system works according to a pre-determined timetable.

Transporting thousands of pilgrims between the holy sites, the Masha’a trains help ease the pressure on the roads, especially at peak times.

The Hajj transportation system employs more than 45,000 male and female employees to implement its plans during the Hajj season, while preparing more than 7,000 scheduled flights from 238 destinations around the world through 62 air carriers, using 12 travel halls in 6 airports, and providing more than two million seats through the Haramain train, an increase of about 400,000 seats compared to last year, in addition to operating 2,500 trips for the Masha’ir train.

Regarding land transportation, the Saudi Ministry of Transport said that more than 25,000 buses and 9,000 taxis have been prepared, and 18 routes have been allocated to transport pilgrims between cities, and the system has launched the Public Transport Center to ensure easy and smooth movement of pilgrims.

#Video | Transportation and Logistics spokesperson at #Hajj Saleh Al-Zuweid: Increasing road cooling technology in #holy_feelings by 82% compared to last year.#Akaz pic.twitter.com/Sgovkzmgk0

– Okaz (@OKAZ_online) June 2, 2025

Pilgrimage without bags

According to Saleh Al-Zuweid, spokesperson for the Saudi Transport Authority, the initiative to transport bags from airports to pilgrims’ residences without the need to carry them has contributed to facilitating tens of thousands of pilgrims within the “Hajj without Bags” project implemented in cooperation with several logistics organizations.

The ministry has conducted more than 270,000 technical inspections of buses and approved means of transportation to ensure that they meet safety standards, Al-Zuweid said. The preparations also included equipping rest areas on the roads leading to the holy sites with air conditioning, restrooms and drinking water to ensure the comfort of pilgrims during their travels.

The spokesperson pointed to the expansion of road cooling techniques by 88% compared to last year to include pilgrims’ paths in areas adjacent toNimra Mosque and the Masha’ir train, reducing surface temperatures by an average of 12 degrees Celsius. Rubberized roads were also expanded by 33% to enhance the comfort of pilgrims during their summer travels.

With an area of more than 35,000 square meters
The completion of the shading and cooling project in Mina, which includes more than 500 fans with a mist system, with the aim of reducing direct exposure to sunlight and providing a comfortable environment that helps pilgrims perform their rituals with ease and tranquility pic.twitter.com/5rkzdCAzAZAZ

– Emirate of Makkah (@makkahregion) May 5, 2025

Health care

In addition to heat stress and chronic diseases, there is always the possibility of infectious or emergency diseases.

The Saudi Ministry of Health operates more than 25 field and fixed hospitals, with more than 5,000 beds, mobile clinics, highly equipped ambulance teams, rapid response teams and public health teams to monitor any epidemiological symptoms.

Dr. Nasser Al-Fahid, of the Saudi Red Crescent, notes that “the response to any medical case starts in less than 8 minutes inside the feelings thanks to the wide deployment and great logistical support.”

Saudi Health Minister Fahad bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajil says that the “health capacity” is a key pillar in enabling pilgrims to perform their rituals safely, and embodies the trend towards enhancing prevention and integrating health services with the highest quality standards.

As part of the health system’s efforts to ensure the safety of pilgrims, the #Saudi_Center_for_Patient_Safety In the season of #Hajj A field tour of health facilities in Makkah and the Holy Sites to monitor the reality of patient safety, as well as direct interaction with health service providers to provide realistic developmental recommendations that contribute to… pic.twitter.com/VuLFnWCBZz

– Saudi Patient Safety Center (@SAUDIPSC) June 2, 2025

During his participation in the Hajj Grand Symposium, Al-Jalajil reviewed the advanced health technologies that were implemented this year, most notably the use of drones to transport vital medicines within the Sites, which contributed to reducing the delivery time to about 5-6 minutes.

He pointed to the achievement of medical teams in dealing quickly with strokes with high efficiency, where treatment was provided in only 16 minutes, in addition to the role of the surgical robot in King Abdullah Medical City in performing accurate operations that contribute to accelerating recovery and improving the quality of care.

This is where the story of volunteer giving begins

With a smile, a measurement, and reassurance

Volunteers are a health shield for pilgrims #Hajj_1446 #HajjHealth pic.twitter.com/SueSU89NEY

– Hayatona Association (@hayatonaorg) May 5, 2025

White Hands Behind the Scenes

More than 30,000 male and female volunteers work in the Hajj season, spread across various sectors including translation, counseling, medical services, accommodation and psychological support.

In Mina, young volunteers can be seen holding signs in multiple languages to help pilgrims from countries whose populations do not speak Arabic or English, while others are working alongside medical staff in hospitals.

Noura Al-Harbi, a third-time volunteer, says: “An old pilgrim’s prayer for you after you guide or help him is worth all the fatigue. This is an indescribable life and spiritual experience.”

Digital transformation in the Hajj season Smart platforms and applications that minimize challenges and facilitate the journey of pilgrims

M. Abdulaziz Al-Mutahmi – Undersecretary of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for Digital Transformation #Saabah_Saudi Arabia | #SaudiChannel pic.twitter.com/1N1d1ekZDt

– Sabah السعودية (@SabahAlsaudiah) May 29, 2025

Digital transformation

With the acceleration of technology, Hajj has become more digitized than ever before. The unified Nisk app for pilgrims provides comprehensive services, such as schedules, interactive maps, Sharia instructions, and emergency numbers.

The Hajj smart card also enables the security authorities to track the pilgrim and provide support to him easily, in addition to facilitating entry and exit from the Sites, and ensuring his correct orientation.

The Ministry of Hajj announced that more than 90% of administrative processes and logistical services will be digitized or semi-digitized in the 2025 season, contributing to reducing human errors and increasing efficiency.

Among the new technologies aimed at enhancing the safety of pilgrims in the 2025 Hajj season is the use of advanced smart watches that monitor the health status of pilgrims in real time. These watches are characterized by a design that resembles traditional watches, which helps maintain the privacy of the pilgrim and does not make him feel isolated.

They are also equipped with GPS technology to accurately locate the pilgrim’s location, making it easier to provide assistance in emergency situations. The data collected by these watches is sent to a virtual health center in King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah, where it is analyzed and monitored by specialized medical teams.