Hajj Concludes Sunday, Pilgrims to Self-Isolate

Hajj pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
Hajj pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Hajj Concludes Sunday, Pilgrims to Self-Isolate

Hajj pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
Hajj pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

The Hajj pilgrimage will end on Sunday with worhsippers performing the final “farewell” tawaf, or circumambulation of the holy Kaaba, at the Grand Mosque in Makkah city.

The pilgrims will conclude their holy journey with home isolation as part of the ongoing precautions against the novel coronavirus.

The pilgrims will kick off the final day of the Hajj at dawn on Sunday with the ritual stoning of the devil, by collecting small, medium and large stones, said Saudi deputy minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Abdul Fattah al-Mashat.

They will then head to Mina and at 4:00 pm, they will depart to the Grand Mosque for the final tawaf.

They will be tested for the coronavirus soon after concluding the rituals ahead of their departure from Makkah, he added.

The first day of the stoning of the devil began on Saturday amid heavy security and health measures. Authorities ensured that social distancing measures were adopted and the pilgrims were presented with a souvenir gift from the Hajj and Umrah Ministry on the occasion of the Eid al-Adha holiday.

The disinfection of the Grand Mosque continued on Saturday. The holy mosque has been disinfected at a rate of ten times per day.

The Saudi Health Ministry said there have been no cases of the COVID-19 illness among this year's pilgrims. Government precautions included testing pilgrims for the virus, monitoring their movement with electronic wristbands and requiring them to quarantine before and after.



Saudi Arabia Expands Digital Health System for Hajj Pilgrims

Muslims perform Tawaf in the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 3, 2025. (SPA)
Muslims perform Tawaf in the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 3, 2025. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Expands Digital Health System for Hajj Pilgrims

Muslims perform Tawaf in the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 3, 2025. (SPA)
Muslims perform Tawaf in the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 3, 2025. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry said it has stepped up efforts this year to expand digital health services as part of a broader strategy to harness advanced technology and ensure safe and efficient medical care for pilgrims during the Hajj.

The ministry said preparations included strengthening digital infrastructure and deploying smart solutions to improve timely access to healthcare, aiming to deliver a safe and healthy pilgrimage for all.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Assistant Deputy Minister for Planning at the Ministry of Health, Eng. Yazeed Alotaibi highlighted a range of advanced digital solutions the ministry has developed, including the implementation of the “Electronic Health Record” system across all medical facilities in the holy sites.

The system allows for seamless, real-time connectivity between healthcare centers, speeding up diagnosis and patient transfers while enhancing medical response readiness in coordination with the command and control center.

Alotaibi added that services on the “Sehhaty” app have been upgraded to offer around-the-clock virtual medical consultations, alongside the 937 unified call center.

He said virtual clinics have also been activated in partnership with the virtual health hospital, enabling patients to receive specialized care remotely without the need to travel, easing pressure on field facilities and improving pilgrims’ access to medical services at any time.

AI integration

On the use of emerging technologies, Alotaibi said the Health Ministry has “extensively integrated artificial intelligence tools into its digital systems.”

These tools are being used to analyze medical conversations and convert them into digital records, while also suggesting accurate diagnoses, boosting the speed and quality of clinical decision-making.

AI is also employed to interpret medical images and identify critical cases that require urgent intervention.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry has rolled out a series of cutting-edge technologies to strengthen medical services for pilgrims during this year’s Hajj, including the use of drones, artificial intelligence, and cloud infrastructure.

Alotaibi said the ministry is deploying drone technology to deliver medicines and medical supplies swiftly to high-traffic areas, calling it “a fast and efficient solution” to meet urgent healthcare demands.

Cloud infrastructure has also been activated in health data centers to boost system efficiency and accelerate data sharing among relevant authorities, he added.

Digital health passport

Among other innovations, Alotaibi said the ministry has launched a “Digital Health Passport” in collaboration with Malaysia, Oman, and Indonesia. The initiative allows early access to pilgrims’ health status, allowing personalized care and streamlining medical procedures when needed.

On Monday, Health Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel inaugurated two key initiatives to support medical supply delivery using helicopters and drones.

These systems are designed to cut delivery times for medicines in high-density zones across the holy sites from 90 to just 6 minutes, enhancing emergency response capabilities.

Fahad Al-Buthi, CEO of supply chain and operations at NUPCO, a Saudi healthcare logistics company, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the drone program was launched in coordination with national authorities.

He said pilot tests showed the drone system could slash delivery time from 90 minutes to just six, a move expected to significantly improve access to critical supplies during peak Hajj periods.