About 1.5 million pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia for the upcoming Hajj

In total, the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia is planned to be attended by about 2 million people from around the globe, making it the largest international event of the year, which for many Muslims is a key moment in their spiritual life.

The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, is required at least once in a lifetime by every Muslim who has the physical and financial ability to do so. The rituals associated with it are designed to purify the soul and demonstrate the equality and solidarity of all Muslims in their obedience to God.

Responsibility for organizing the pilgrimage rests with the government of Saudi Arabia under the direct supervision of the guardian of the two shrines of the king Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. This grand logistical event will continue until the end of the Hajj on September 4, 2017   of  Over time, the number of foreign pilgrims has grown exponentially: from just 24,000 in 1941 to 1.325 million in 2016. Last year, the total number of Muslims who performed the Hajj was 1.86 million, including local pilgrims living in Saudi Arabia.

Over 80 countries

The Saudi authorities are ready for a massive influx of pilgrims, many of whom also intend to visit the second most important holy city of Muslims — Medina. Support team members appointed by the Hajj organizers to work on the sites speak more than ten languages, ensuring that the needs of all pilgrims are met.

Mina Giant Tent City

Mina is also known as «city of tents» — tens of thousands of air-conditioned tents have been set up on its territory as temporary housing for a significant part of the pilgrims who wish to participate in the upcoming hajj. Mina is located between Mount Arafat and the Great Mosque of Mecca. The tents are neatly set up in rows and distributed into areas with digital and color marking corresponding to the nationality of their residents. Each pilgrim is given a badge of a certain color with a number, which helps him find his way back to his tent in case of difficulty. To avoid fires, the tents are constructed of fiberglass with teflon coating and equipped with automatic fire extinguishing systems and fire extinguishers.

More than 17 thousand civil defense personnel serve the Hajj pilgrims

More than 17 000 well-trained employees, with 3 thousand modern vehicles at their disposal, guarantee the highest level of safety for pilgrims.

300 ambulances, 30  ;motorcycles, 113 medical centers and 8 air ambulances

More than 2 thousand representatives of the Saudi Red Crescent to provide emergency medical services to pilgrims during the Hajj.