From providing more than a million beds for pilgrims to monitoring hundreds of potential risks before they occur, a ministerial session witnessed by the Sixth Hajj Conference and Exhibition in Jeddah, on Monday, revealed the extent of Saudi preparations for the next Hajj season, at a time when the concerned authorities are moving to raise the quality of services and expand the capacity of airports and accommodation facilities, within an operational system in which more than 60 government agencies participate.
During the session “Serving the Guests of God is an Integrated National System,” the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, confirmed that the Program for Serving the Guests of God, which was launched in 2019 as part of “Saudi Vision 2030,” brought about a transformation in the management of the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage, starting with facilitating access to the Two Holy Mosques, passing through the quality of services, all the way to enriching the religious and cultural experience.
Al-Rabiah revealed that the number of pilgrims coming from abroad has increased from 8.4 million in 2022 to 18 million in 2025, while the number of visitors to Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifa has increased from 6 million to about 16 million during the same period.
He explained that the Hajj Projects Management Office coordinates about 600 operational plans annually among the participating parties, noting that pilgrims’ satisfaction increased from 74 to 93 percent within five years, exceeding the target of 90 percent.
In the housing file, Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khatib announced the completion of the licensing of buildings designated to receive pilgrims next season, and the provision of more than 1.3 million beds within about 400,000 rooms distributed among 4,000 buildings in Mecca and Medina.
He pointed out that the size of the rooms available in the two cities places them, when compared to other countries, within the highest segment globally, which includes about 10 percent of the countries in the world in terms of room capacity, in reference to the size of the structure designated to receive pilgrims and Umrah performers.
Al-Khatib revealed that about 560,000 beds were provided in temporary housing for pilgrims, and 30,000 inspection tours were carried out during the last season, in addition to training more than 45,000 employees to improve the level of services.
He explained that the Ministry is working to reduce the number of beds in rooms, and to encourage the conversion of temporary pilgrims’ housing into permanent facilities, while providing accommodation options that suit different purchasing capabilities.
In the aviation sector, the head of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, announced that King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah received 52 million passengers during the year 2025, while the fourth terminal was operated with a capacity exceeding 15 million passengers, and the pilgrims’ lounge was developed with a capacity of up to 16 million.
He pointed out that the expansion of Prince Muhammad bin Abdulaziz Airport in Medina will increase its capacity from 8 million to 18 million passengers, with the project expected to be completed in October 2027.
Al-Duailej revealed that the “Traveler Without a Bag” initiative has served about 4.5 million pilgrims since its launch four years ago, and has handled about 6.7 million bags, while the aviation system uses more than 130 air carriers linking the Kingdom to more than 200 destinations during the Hajj season.
On the security side, Director of Public Security, Lieutenant General Mohammed Al-Bassami, confirmed that the Hajj system has moved from the stage of coordination between agencies to integration in plans and operations, revealing that more than 900 potential dangers have been monitored, and proactive scenarios and field exercises have been prepared to deal with them before they occur.
He explained that crowd management depends on studying three main elements: the behavior of the pilgrim, the characteristics of the place, and the timing associated with performing the rituals, stressing that the goal is no longer limited to dealing with crises, but rather preventing their occurrence and ensuring the safety of pilgrims in light of the large human densities witnessed by the holy sites.
In the municipal services file, the Mayor of the Holy Capital, Musaed Al-Daoud, announced that no cases of food poisoning were recorded during the last Hajj season, indicating that food safety will be one of the most prominent priorities for the coming season.
He revealed the establishment of an electronic platform that brings together food suppliers and catering companies. With the aim of organizing supply operations and enhancing control over the quality of food provided to pilgrims.
Al-Dawoud pointed out that the number of people in Mecca increases from about 2.5 million to 5 million people during peak periods. This requires exceptional readiness for infrastructure, hygiene and environmental sanitation services.
The session, moderated by journalist Mohammed Al-Tumaihi, brought together officials from the Hajj, tourism, aviation, security and municipal services sectors, in a discussion that reflected the extent of the interconnectedness between these sectors, and the importance of early preparation for a season whose readiness is not only measured by the number of services available, but also by their ability to work together and provide a more organized and safe experience for the guests of God.
On the health side, “Seha Holding” revealed that more than 2.5 million services were provided during the past season. Dr. Hatem Al-Omari, CEO of the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Health Cluster, explained that the cluster served more than 746,000 beneficiaries, conducted 128,000 field examinations, more than 415 surgeries and 382 dialysis operations, in addition to providing 371,000 vaccination doses.
Al-Omari pointed out, in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, that 5,309 pilgrims benefited from specialized treatment paths, which included 4,574 cases of injury, 416 cases of stroke, and 319 cases of heart attack, within a system linking the hospitals of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and the Holy Sites to the Resource Control Center, to speed up medical interventions for critical cases.
Within the framework of the “Safe Heart” initiative, cardiac catheterization was performed for 182 patients, including 122 using mobile devices at pilgrims’ locations, while 8 patients were transferred to King Abdullah Medical City to complete treatment, in addition to providing 16,607 virtual consultations that included emergency and specialized clinics and follow-up of diabetes patients.
The efforts included including more than 62,000 pilgrims in the preventive tracks for high-risk groups, and communicating with about 17,000 people with chronic diseases, while 12,478 pilgrims benefited from the “Baseera” initiative to assess health risks before performing the rituals.
“Health Holding” reviewed innovations that included the smart “Amal Clinic” near the Prophet’s Mosque, virtual clinics at scheduled times, the “smart awareness bracelet,” and the “TREATH” project to enhance the safety of wheelchair users, within a network that includes 57 hospitals, 473 primary care centers, and two medical cities with a capacity exceeding 12,000 beds.
