Hadsch 2025: Saudi Arabia fights against heat and mass panic!

Hadsch 2025: Saudi Arabia fights against heat and mass panic!

Mekka, Saudi-Arabien - Saudi Arabia is preparing for the upcoming Hadsch, which takes place from June June 9th. This religious pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam and is considered a major logistical challenge. In 2024, over 1,300 pilgrims lost their lives due to extreme heat, a problem that the Saudi authorities take very seriously. The temperatures could reach up to 47 degrees Celsius again this year, which means that the safety of the pilgrims has top priority. Saudi Arabia has therefore taken extensive measures to ensure smooth running and improve security. These measures are part of the modernization strategy of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, which also includes technological progress in order to make the pilgrimage safer. About Tagesschau report that the Saudi authorities award around two million visas for foreign pilgrims every year.

Another problem is the large number of unregistered pilgrims. According to estimates, up to a million not officially registered pilgrims are present in Mecca, which can lead to additional challenges. This also increases the risk of accidents and overcrowding. In the run -up to the current Hadsch, the police prevented almost 270,000 pilgrims from entering Mecca without a valid visa, such as SPIEGEL reported.

technology for security and efficiency

In order to increase the safety of pilgrims, Saudi Arabia uses modern technologies such as drones and artificial intelligence. These technologies help to monitor the movements of around two million pilgrims and to recognize potential dangers at an early stage. A command center of the Haj-Ministry monitors the course of the pilgrimage. Sensors measure the number of pilgrims on important points and surveillance cameras analyze their movements. These innovative measures are intended to help prevent mass panics as in the past, in which thousands lost their lives.

In addition, an app called Nusuk was developed, which enables pilgrims to book travel packages and obtain information about their stay in Mecca. AI-controlled "Fatwa robot" answer religious questions in up to 20 languages, which makes communication easier for international pilgrims. In an emergency, drones can transport medication within six minutes, which significantly shortens the response times in critical situations, according to Tagesspiegel .

community feeling and challenges

The teacher Ismael emphasizes the special feelings of community that arise among the pilgrims from different countries. Many of them invest a lot of time and money in the pilgrimage as they consider the Hajsch as a life's work. Especially in countries such as Egypt, a lottery procedure decides on the selection of pilgrims. Nevertheless, the challenge of supervising unregistered pilgrims and coordinating the large number of people remains a persistent concern of the Saudi authorities.