 |
| Source: PRNewsfoto/Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. At the Hajj. |
"Hosting Hajj each year is an honour and a great responsibility for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, one we hold dear to our hearts. We spare no effort when it comes to the well-being of pilgrims and our number one priority is to welcome individuals from all over the world as they seek to fulfil their religious and spiritual duty," said HE Dr Awwad Alawwad, Minister of Culture and Information.
To put the event into perspective, the KSA Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI) notes that the gathering is equivalent to 46 times the average crowd per game at the 2014 World Cup and five times the number of foreign travellers to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Among other nationalities, Saudi Arabia has as of 31 August welcomed:
- 184,000 pilgrims from Pakistan
- 170,000 pilgrims from India
- 127,000 pilgrims from Bangladesh
- 90,000 pilgrims from Turkey
- 41,200 pilgrims from Malaysia
- 12,700 pilgrims from China
- 6,000 pilgrims from the Philippines
About 94% of the pilgrims arrived by air. In order to reduce congestion and facilitate smooth passenger movement, the airports in Jeddah and Madinah have built dedicated terminals for pilgrims.
Some pilgrims travel by bus, minivan and car. This year, more than 30,000 vehicles have arrived. There are over 17,000 special buses operated by more than 22,000 drivers that transport pilgrims within the venue.
During Hajj, over 2.64 million meals are distributed daily. More than 2,000 Saudi Red Crescent Authority personnel have been deployed in Makkah, Madinah and other holy sites to provide ambulance services for pilgrims.
According to the Saudi Ministry of Health, more than 2,100 free medical procedures have already been performed on pilgrims.
Modern technology
Though the Hajj is one of the world's oldest pilgrimages, it also incorporates modern technology to enhance the experience of pilgrims and ensure their safety and wellbeing. To this end, every pilgrim has been given an electronic identification bracelet containing personal and medical information to enable the Hajj authorities to identify individuals and provide necessary care. The water-resistant and GPS-enabled bracelets inform the pilgrims about prayer times and feature a multilingual helpdesk for non-Arabic speaking pilgrims.
KSA's Ministry of Culture and Information has launched two portals - Hajj2017.org and SaudiWelcomesTheWorld.org - to provide further assistance to pilgrims, as well as keep the rest of the world, including global media, informed and updated during this period.
The Hajj concludes on September 4.
Interested?
Watch the video of Hajj 2017 from KSA's Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI)
Some pilgrims travel by bus, minivan and car. This year, more than 30,000 vehicles have arrived. There are over 17,000 special buses operated by more than 22,000 drivers that transport pilgrims within the venue.
During Hajj, over 2.64 million meals are distributed daily. More than 2,000 Saudi Red Crescent Authority personnel have been deployed in Makkah, Madinah and other holy sites to provide ambulance services for pilgrims.
According to the Saudi Ministry of Health, more than 2,100 free medical procedures have already been performed on pilgrims.
Modern technology
Though the Hajj is one of the world's oldest pilgrimages, it also incorporates modern technology to enhance the experience of pilgrims and ensure their safety and wellbeing. To this end, every pilgrim has been given an electronic identification bracelet containing personal and medical information to enable the Hajj authorities to identify individuals and provide necessary care. The water-resistant and GPS-enabled bracelets inform the pilgrims about prayer times and feature a multilingual helpdesk for non-Arabic speaking pilgrims.
KSA's Ministry of Culture and Information has launched two portals - Hajj2017.org and SaudiWelcomesTheWorld.org - to provide further assistance to pilgrims, as well as keep the rest of the world, including global media, informed and updated during this period.
The Hajj concludes on September 4.
Interested?
Watch the video of Hajj 2017 from KSA's Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI)