Temperatures soared to 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) in the holy city of Mecca last June as 1.8 million worshippers took part in the annual rites, one of the five pillars of Islam.
It was a high-profile example of the havoc wrought by heat in 2024, which the Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Friday was the hottest year ever recorded.
While Riyadh has not detailed preparations for this year's pilgrimage -- still five months away -- authorities will no doubt want to avoid a repeat, said Abderrezak Bouchama of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah International Medical Research Center.
“I think they’ve learnt their lesson, so we have to see what kind of measures they have taken for that.”
Saudi officials did not respond to AFP's requests for comment.
The hajj takes place over five to six days, mostly outdoors.
Responses in the past have “typically focused on infrastructure improvements and crowd control measures”, said Karim Elgendy, an associate fellow at the Chatham House think tank.
Hajj permits are allocated to countries on a quota system and distributed to individuals by lottery.
The introduction of a general tourism visa in 2019 has made it easier for all foreigners, including permit-less pilgrims, to enter the country.
Saudi authorities “need to make arrangements not just for registered numbers but also for additional numbers”, particularly cooling and emergency health facilities, he said.
On top of high temperatures, “the summer solstice timing meant pilgrims faced maximum sun exposure during outdoor rituals”, he said.
'Extreme danger'
Near the Kaaba, the black cubic structure in the Grand Mosque in Mecca towards which all Muslims pray, air-conditioned spaces allow pilgrims to cool off, and a climate-controlled pathway connects the hills of Safa and Marwa inside the mosque compound.
Volunteers also distribute water and umbrellas and offer advice to pilgrims on avoiding hyperthermia, while misting systems and air-conditioned shopping malls provide temporary relief between prayers.
“Drinking water helps to rehydrate, but it is not enough. You have to get out of the heat.”
While the pilgrimage will eventually shift to the cooler winter season, relief will be temporary.
A 2019 study published by the journal Geophysical Research Letters said because of climate change and the timing of the hajj, heat stress for pilgrims will exceed the “extreme danger threshold” from 2047 to 2052, and 2079 to 2086.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Saudi prepares for another hajj menaced by extreme heat )
Also on site :