MINA: More than 1.6 million pilgrims have gathered in Mina as Hajj enters the Day of Tarwiyah, marking the start of the most intensive phase ahead of Arafat Day on May 26.
The number of foreign pilgrims has reached 1,518,153, a 0.8 percent increase from 2025, according to a report.
Following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, pilgrims are spending the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah on Monday in Mina, worshipping and preparing before moving to Arafat, the spiritual climax of Hajj, on Tuesday.
Movement into Mina was carried out under a unified operational system, with authorities reporting smooth flow along key routes, supported by traffic management plans and aerial monitoring to ensure orderly crowd movement.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said its operational plans for the Day of Tarwiyah were part of a broader integrated system designed to ensure smooth movement, efficient crowd management, and high-quality services throughout the pilgrimage.
Officials stressed that coordination across security, health, and service agencies remained central to maintaining safety, comfort, and operational efficiency during Hajj.
Mina: Sacred valley comes alive during Hajj
Located between Makkah and Muzdalifah, Mina lies about 7 km northeast of the Grand Mosque within the Haram boundary. Surrounded by mountains to the north and south, it remains uninhabited for most of the year and comes alive during Hajj.
On the Makkah side, Mina is bordered by the Jamarat area, while on the other side it connects to Wadi Muhassir, a narrow valley leading toward Muzdalifah. The valley is linked in Islamic tradition to the Year of the Elephant, when Abraha’s forces were halted in their advance toward the Kaaba around A.D. 570, widely believed to correspond to the birth year of Prophet Muhammad.
During Hajj, the site hosts an expanded tent city spanning about 2.5 million sq. meters. The infrastructure is designed to enhance safety and security standards, with capacity exceeding 2.6 million pilgrims.
Upgraded accommodation and infrastructure expansion
Among the most notable developments this year is the expansion of upgraded accommodation schemes — including Rabiah Kidana and the Kidana Al-Khayf camp project — which introduce modern residential models aimed at improving comfort and optimizing space within the holy sites.
Kidana Development Co., the executive arm of the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites, in partnership with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, and Ithraa Hospitality Holding Co., has repurposed previously underused areas within the holy sites into fully serviced accommodation zones, significantly boosting capacity for pilgrims and improving on-site living conditions.
Coordinated state response
In line with directives from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, multiple government and service sectors have been mobilized to ensure the safe and smooth performance of Hajj rituals, focusing on security, health, logistics, and transport readiness.
The Council of Ministers recently reviewed this year’s Hajj operational plans and progress under the Pilgrim Experience Program, which strengthens integration among state agencies and enhances service delivery across Makkah, the holy sites, and Madinah.
The Hajj ecosystem continues to evolve through expanded coordination and the deployment of human, technical, and organizational resources to support operational readiness and pilgrim welfare.
Egyptian pilgrim Hamza Sa’oudi, who is performing Hajj for the second time, told Arab News that services have continued to improve.
Sa’oudi said: “When I first came here 10 years ago, I was impressed by the advanced services provided to pilgrims. Since then, everything has improved further, with this generous country mobilizing comprehensive security, medical, logistical, and transportation services to facilitate the performance of Hajj rituals in an atmosphere of safety and spirituality.”
Security operations and crowd management
Security forces, including the Special Forces for Security and Protection, have been deployed across the holy sites to regulate pedestrian flow and manage crowd density, as part of broader safety plans.
Authorities said the operations were fully integrated across security sectors in Makkah to ensure pilgrims can perform rituals safely and without disruption.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah earlier announced the completion of operational readiness for crowd management plans, including training more than 30,000 personnel to operate digital solutions and manage field operations.
Moves also included training over 600 crowd management supervisors and 5,000 group leaders on digital systems and field duties, alongside simulation exercises to assess readiness and test the efficiency of procedures, in coordination with all relevant authorities.
The ministry urged pilgrims to adhere to schedules set by their Hajj operators and comply with designated crowd movement timetables, avoiding individual movement outside the organized framework as this could disrupt the smooth flow across routes and sites.
The Ministry of Health has mobilized its human and technical capabilities to provide integrated healthcare services.
The Saudi Red Crescent Authority said its operational plan incorporated a fleet of more than 3,000 ambulances and emergency vehicles, including rapid-response units, electric golf carts, motorcycles, bicycles, and medical scooters, in addition to 11 air ambulances for critical evacuation support.
The system is further reinforced by 250 newly added ambulances, more than 7,000 personnel, over 500 emergency stations, and more than 1,000 volunteers.
Health system on high alert amid extreme heat
As temperatures in Makkah and the holy sites reached 45 C on May 25, the Ministry of Health urged pilgrims to take precautions against heat stress. Such measures include hydration and the use of umbrellas.
Pilgrims were also encouraged to familiarize themselves with nearby hospitals and medical centers across the holy sites to ensure rapid access to care when needed.
Supporting the health response, the Public Investment Fund-owned National Unified Procurement Co. said it was deploying smart logistics solutions to improve medical supply chains, including drone-based delivery of medicines and medical equipment to field locations in as little as five to six minutes.
Advanced cardiac intervention saves pilgrim
In a major medical intervention, King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah said its cardiac teams had successfully saved an Indian pilgrim who suffered a heart attack and cardiac arrest.
Doctors used veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, an advanced heart-lung support system, to stabilize and treat the patient.
The hospital said the case revealed the readiness of specialized emergency and intensive care teams deployed throughout the Hajj season.
The medical city also provided an Egyptian pilgrim and a Moroccan pilgrim with urgent medical intervention after both suffered critical eye conditions that could have led to permanent loss of vision.
