Just days before the official start of the Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi authorities announced that nearly 1.5 million Muslim worshippers have already reached the holy city of Mecca. Officials expect the total number of pilgrims to rise to around two million by the end of the week, making it one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings.
Pilgrims from across the globe are taking part in a series of sacred rituals centered around the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure at the heart of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, requires every financially and physically able Muslim to undertake the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
This year’s pilgrimage is unfolding amid heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The conflict involving Iran has raised international security concerns, particularly after Tehran targeted Gulf states allied with the United States, including Saudi Arabia. Although a fragile ceasefire has been in place since April and diplomatic signals over the weekend suggested a possible temporary agreement between the warring sides, fears remain that renewed fighting could disrupt the pilgrimage and regional stability.
Reflecting those concerns, the US Embassy in Riyadh advised American citizens against participating in the Hajj this year. Security analysts have warned that any escalation in the conflict could have significant consequences for the massive religious gathering, which attracts millions of people into a concentrated area over several days.
Despite the tensions, Saudi Arabia issued visas to approximately 30,000 Iranian pilgrims. The kingdom tightly controls Hajj visa allocations, distributing permits according to the size of Muslim populations in individual countries. Germany, for example, receives only a few thousand places each year for its Muslim community.
Saudi authorities are also facing the challenge of protecting pilgrims from extreme heat. Temperatures in Mecca are forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius this week, reviving memories of the deadly heatwave two years ago when more than 1,300 pilgrims died during temperatures surpassing 50 degrees Celsius.
In response, Saudi Arabia has invested billions of euros in recent years to modernize Hajj infrastructure and improve safety measures, particularly heat protection systems, crowd management, transportation networks, and emergency medical services aimed at safeguarding the enormous flow of worshippers.
