Saudi Arabia is gearing up for the annual Hajj as experts stress the urgent need to reduce the dangers of extreme heat, which claimed more than 1,300 lives last year.
Temperatures soared to 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) in the holy city of Mecca last June as 1.8 million worshipers took part in the annual prayer, one of the five pillars of Islam.
Saudi officials said 83 percent of the 1,301 recorded deaths did not have official hajj permits and were therefore unable to access facilities meant to make the hajj more bearable, including air-conditioned tents.
It was a high-profile example of heat-induced catastrophe in 2024, which the Copernicus Climate Change Service said Friday was the hottest year on record.
The majority of Hajj pilgrims come from abroad, diplomats involved in their countries’ response to last year’s crisis said AFP At that time most of the deaths were due to heat.
Abdul Razzaq Bouchama of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah International Medical Research Center said that while Riyadh has not made detailed preparations for this year’s Hajj – which is still five months away – authorities will undoubtedly want to avoid a repeat.
“I think above all they will reduce the risk of illegal pilgrims,” said Bouchama, who has worked with the Saudi government for more than three decades to reduce heat-related deaths. .
“I think they’ve learned their lesson, so we’ll have to see what kind of steps they take for that.”
Other measures to make the heat less dangerous, such as introducing wearable sensors to quickly detect heat stress, are long-term projects that likely won’t be launched until June, Buchama added.
The Saudi authorities did not react to this. of the AFP Requests for comment.
‘The Perfect Storm’
Hajj takes place over five to six days, mostly outdoors.
It has experienced several unfortunate incidents over the years, including a tragic stampede in 2015 during the “stoning of Satan” ritual in Mina, which resulted in the loss of 2,300 lives.
Karim Elgandi, an associate fellow at the Chatham House think tank, said responses in the past have “typically focused on infrastructure improvements and crowd control measures.”
“Based on this pattern, we would expect the authorities to approach the 2025 Hajj with more heat mitigation infrastructure and possibly tighter capacity controls.”
Hajj permits are allocated to countries on a quota system and distributed among individuals by lottery.
But even for those who can obtain them, the high costs force many to attempt Hajj without a permit, even though they risk arrest and deportation if caught.
The introduction of a general tourist visa in 2019 has made it easier for all foreigners, including permit visitors, to enter the country.
Omar Karim, an expert on Saudi politics at the University of Birmingham, said it was “very difficult” to close the entrances to Mecca, meaning Saudi authorities should expect illegal pilgrims again this year.
He said the Saudi authorities “need to make arrangements not only for registered numbers but also for additional numbers”, especially cooling and emergency health facilities.
Still, Elgandi stressed that last year’s deaths were the product of “an unprecedented perfect storm of environmental conditions,” not just pressure on resources caused by unregistered pilgrims.
On top of the high temperatures, “the timing of the summer solstice means pilgrims face maximum sun exposure during outdoor rituals,” he said.
Hajj timings are determined by the Islamic lunar calendar and will advance the Gregorian calendar by about 11 days, meaning it will again fall in the Saudi summer this year.
‘extreme risk’
Authorities had been implementing measures to reduce the heat at the holy sites long before last year’s deaths.
Near the Kaaba, the grand mosque in Mecca, the black cubic structure towards which all Muslims pray, air-conditioned spaces allow pilgrims to cool off, and a climate-controlled passageway inside the mosque compound. It connects the hills of Safa and Marwah.
Since 2023, roads used by the faithful have been covered with a white cooling material that Saudi officials say reduces asphalt temperatures by 20 percent.
Volunteers also distribute water and umbrellas and advise pilgrims to avoid hyperthermia, while dust systems and air-conditioned shopping malls provide temporary relief between prayers.
“Air conditioning is the only effective measure to protect against extreme heat,” Bouchama said, calling for the deployment of mobile cooling units among pilgrims.
“Drinking water helps rehydrate, but it’s not enough. You have to get out of the heat.”
He said that even if such measures are not taken by the Hajj in June this year, they are still feasible.
While Yatra will eventually transition into the cooler winters, the relief will be temporary.
A 2019 study published by the journal Geophysical Research Letters stated that heat stress for pilgrims due to climate change and the timing of the Hajj will exceed “thresholds of extreme risk” from 2047 to 2052 and from 2079 to 2086. will be done