Saudi Arabia deploys AI to protect over a million haj pilgrims from extreme heat

South China Morning Post

2 days ago

Amid extreme summer temperatures, Saudi authorities are preparing to welcome over a million haj pilgrims. This heat has a history of being deadly in the holy city of Mecca.
To address this challenge, they are implementing measures such as increased shade and misting machines – and they are turning to artificial intelligence (AI).
Saudi Arabia's haj Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah emphasised that mitigating the intense desert heat would be a top priority for both authorities and organisers as they approached this year's pilgrimage.
This concern is especially urgent following last year's haj, during which more than 1,300 pilgrims lost their lives as temperatures soared to 51.8 degrees Celsius (125.24 degrees Fahrenheit).
This year, Rabiah said authorities mobilised more than 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials and doubled their efforts to mitigate heat-related risks.
He added that shaded areas had been expanded by 50,000 square metres (12 acres). Thousands more medics will be on hand, and more than 400 cooling units will be deployed for the duration of the haj.
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In previous years, areas around the Grand Mosque have been renovated, and asphalt areas have been covered with a special layer to reduce surface temperatures.
'These new changes will definitely ensure the safety and the better experience of pilgrims when they perform their haj,' Rabiah said.
He said this week that more than a million people from across the globe had already arrived in Saudi Arabia for the ḥaj, with more still pouring in.
In 2024, 1.8 million pilgrims gathered in Mecca during the pilgrimage.
The latest AI software will help monitor the deluge of information and footage, including video from a new fleet of drones, from across Mecca.
'We use advanced AI technologies to do this monitoring and get fast feedback,' the minister said.
Crowd management has proved perilous in the past, notably in 2015 when a stampede caused about 2,300 deaths.
Along with expanding infrastructure and deploying more personnel, Saudi officials have been cracking down to prevent pilgrims without the right paperwork from entering Mecca.
Officials said that more than 80 per cent of the deaths during last year's ḥaj were among pilgrims who lacked official permits, which prevented them from accessing services including air-conditioned tents.
Haj permits are allocated to countries on a quota system and distributed to individuals by lottery.
Saudi Arabia is expecting over a million haj pilgrims. Photo: AFP
But even for those who can obtain them, the steep costs spur many to attempt the haj without a permit – though they risk arrest and deportation if caught.
To head off a flood of illicit pilgrims entering Mecca, authorities have launched raids, mounted a widespread media campaign and increased fines for those found violating the rules, which includes a potential 10-year ban from the kingdom.
'Therefore, having a permit is very crucial, very important for the safety of all,' Rabiah said. 'We count on all Muslims to come only with permits and also we count on all countries to support us to ensure that only those with permits come to haj.'
This year's pilgrimage will begin on June 4 and take place over at least four days, mostly outdoors.
The haj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken at least once by all Muslims who are able to do so.
For the past several years the mainly outdoor rituals have fallen during the sweltering Saudi summer.
'The haj pilgrimage is a sacred journey that the leadership of the kingdom and the whole people of the kingdom take it seriously,' the minister said. 'They see it as a duty to work hard to ensure the spiritual fulfilment and safety of pilgrims.'