More than two million people from over 160 countries have gathered in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the annual hajj pilgrimage. This year’s event could break attendance records, officials said. The hajj is one of the world’s largest religious gatherings and also one with a tragic history of stampedes and other disasters. Pilgrims from all over the world have been arriving at Jeddah’s modernised airport and travelling to Mecca on buses and trains. The rituals include circling the Kaaba, praying on Mount Arafat, and “stoning the devil” by throwing pebbles at three giant concrete walls representing Satan.
This year’s hajj will be the biggest since the requirement for women to be accompanied by male guardians was dropped in 2021. The maximum age limit has also been scrapped, meaning thousands of elderly people will be among those contending with Saudi summer temperatures that are expected to hit 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit).
More than 32,000 health workers will be on hand to help fend off heatstroke, dehydration and exhaustion. This year’s summer timing for the hajj, which follows the lunar calendar, will test the endurance of worshippers during the four-day, mostly outdoor ritual. However, severe weather is just one of the risks at an event that has been hit by deadly incidents from stampedes to terrorist attacks.
For Saudi Arabia, Mecca pilgrimages are a major source of income. The hajj and the year-round umrah rituals generate an estimated $12 billion annually. An expansion project that involves scaling up infrastructure and transport supporting Mecca and Medina, where two of Islam’s holiest sites are located, is a key part of the economic plan as the kingdom looks to increase visitor numbers.
The hajj is among the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means at least once in their lives. The pilgrimage “gives the kingdom and its rulers a huge amount of esteem and prestige which then becomes a major source of the kingdom’s soft power” said Umer Karim, a doctoral researcher who focuses on Saudi foreign policy at Britain’s University of Birmingham.
Hosting the hajj is a matter of prestige and a source of political legitimacy for Saudi rulers, who are the custodians of the holy sites. However, the event can be dangerous and it is vital that safety measures are in place to protect the millions of pilgrims who attend every year.
