Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it was fully prepared to receive and serve pilgrims during this year’s Hajj season through an integrated system of security, health, transport and logistical services from arrival through departure.
Speaking at a government press conference on Wednesday, five Saudi ministers stressed the Kingdom’s readiness to ensure the safety of pilgrims, facilitate their movement and improve services at the holy sites in Makkah and Medina.
Saudi Information Minister Salman Al-Dossary said the Kingdom’s Hajj security system was operating through detailed plans based on crowd movement analysis and forecasting using artificial intelligence and modern technologies to improve response times and safety.
Al-Dossary stressed that the Interior Ministry continued to implement the “Makkah Route” initiative for an eighth year in 10 countries through 17 entry points. Since its launch, more than 1.2 million pilgrims have benefited from the program, he said. He added that fifth-generation mobile network coverage at the holy sites had reached 100%, supported by more than 4,200 technical personnel working on the ground.
More than 150 media organizations and over 3,000 local and international journalists are covering this year’s Hajj season, according to Al-Dossary.
Meanwhile, Hajj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said more than 860,000 pilgrims had arrived so far through air, land and sea ports.
“The opportunity has been made available for more than 30 Saudi companies to provide services for foreign pilgrims and enable direct booking without intermediaries from more than 126 non-Muslim countries,” Al-Rabiah stated.
He added that accommodation capacity at Mina had been expanded through the construction of the Kedana Al-Khaif camps near the Jamarat complex over an area of 24,000 square meters.
Al-Rabiah revealed that the “Pilgrim Without a Bag” initiative had been expanded to all foreign pilgrims this year, allowing them to ship luggage directly from their home countries to their accommodation and have it returned after the pilgrimage. He said processing times had been cut from 120 minutes to 15 minutes.
He added that services for pilgrims were being coordinated among more than 60 government and operational entities through over 600 work plans. The Nusuk application now serves more than 51 million users worldwide and offers more than 130 digital services during this year’s Hajj season, he underlined.
For his part, Transport and Logistics Minister Saleh Al-Jasser noted that the aviation sector had mobilized its operational capacity across Saudi airports to ensure a smooth travel experience for pilgrims.
More than 3 million seats have been allocated through six airports linking the Kingdom to more than 300 airports worldwide via 104 airlines, he said, adding that airports were equipped to receive more than 1.5 million pilgrims arriving from abroad. Early transport packages introduced for pilgrims would help shield them from rising transportation costs, he remarked.
The minister further pointed that authorities had carried out extensive road maintenance and bridge repairs and expanded the use of road-cooling technology at the holy sites.
He explained that more than 3,000 buses have been allocated to transport pilgrims between accommodations and the Grand Mosque, while another 5,000 buses will provide shuttle services. More than 46,000 personnel have also been deployed to serve pilgrims during the Hajj season.
Municipalities and Housing Minister Majed Al-Hogail said services provided to pilgrims had evolved significantly in recent years through greater coordination among government agencies.
He told the press conference that municipal authorities across the Kingdom were working together to support pilgrims arriving through ports and regional roads, while advanced infrastructure networks covering 4.6 million square meters had been completed between the holy sites.
More than 88,000 sanitation workers are operating around the clock, while authorities are conducting 2,800 daily inspections covering food, water and public facilities, according to Al-Hogail.
Health Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel said Saudi Arabia had continued developing its Hajj system year after year until it became a global model for managing mass gatherings.
Responding to concerns over epidemics, including hantavirus, Al-Jalajel stated that there was “no concern over any epidemic” affecting pilgrims and that Saudi authorities were closely coordinating with international organizations.
He noted that more than 52,000 healthcare workers had been deployed for this year’s Hajj season, supported by over 20,000 hospital beds, including 3,800 beds at the holy sites — triple last year’s capacity.
Authorities have also allocated 3,000 ambulances, 11 medical evacuation aircraft and 7,700 paramedics, in addition to 25 healthcare centers supporting hospitals at the holy sites, he added.
