Hajj 2025: Saudi Arabia strengthens measures to the heat wave

The hajj pilgrimage started in Mecca with more than 1.4 million faithful from around the world. A year after the death of 1,300 pilgrims, mainly because of overwhelming heat, the Saudi authorities have strengthened their device to avoid a new drama.

Temperatures provided: up to 44 ° C. To cope with it, Riyadh has multiplied the measures. Thousands of trees have been planted, more than 400 cooling systems installed, and the gray areas. The roads were covered with special materials to reduce heat to the ground. The instructions are clear: avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., use umbrellas, drink regularly. The Ministry of Health insists: these simple gestures can save lives.

In addition, only pilgrims with an official permit are allowed to enter Mecca. Since Sunday, more than 269,000 people without authorization have been repressed. Offenders risk a fine of $ 5,000 and a ten -year stay ban. Children under 12 are no longer accepted. Last year, 80 % of victims were not recorded, therefore without access to air -conditioned infrastructure. Many faithful, for lack of means, bypass the official circuits – a Hajj package that can cost between 4,000 and 20,000 dollars depending on the country.

Hajj, a pillar of Islam, remains a major spiritual experience. On Tuesday, the pilgrims began the first rites, including the Tawaf around the Kaaba, before joining Mina. They go today to Mont Arafat, a high place of the pilgrimage, where the prophet Muhammad pronounced his last sermon. To manage crowds, Saudi Arabia is also based on artificial intelligence and drones. Objective: fluidity, safety, and avoid the spectrum of past tragedies, such as the 2015 jostling in Mina which had left more than 2,300 dead.