Regulations governing the sacred Hajj have grown tighter in the face of the ongoing conflict raging through West Asia.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah declared last 18th April that only pilgrims holding official permits will be allowed entry into Makkah and that those violating the rule will face some serious penalties.
This stricter entry rule is one of several measures that the authorities have put in place to protect both local and foreign pilgrims, important at this particular time and within this specific region.
Consider this: for Hajj 2025, 1,673,230 pilgrims made their way to Makkah to perform the relevant rituals; thus crowd control has been critical and public safety a major priority.
Also, a number of airlines offering direct routes to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage are increasing capacity to three million seats, ensuring that pilgrims get to fly to Makkah in safety and comfort.
In which case, authorities are stepping up the game, not only with regulations, but tools to make the job easier and more manageable.
Where technology comes in
This year, Saudi authorities are introducing an initiative called Hajj Without Luggage wherein a series of services powered by artificial intelligence and other technologies can boost security throughout key locations and make crowd control easier.
Hajj Without Luggage also gives pilgrims the ability to ship luggage directly to their hotels from the airport.
This takes some stress out of the equation and makes the entry process easier for pilgrimage groups as well as older travellers.
Low-altitude security also comes into play this year thanks to the deployment of more than 2,000 drones and AI-powered cameras to optimise on-site surveillance.
Regulatory matters and more
There could be less in the way of stories shared on social media this year as both photography and video shorts are prohibited at Al-Masjid al-Haram and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi.
This prohibition against imagery does not, surprisingly, relate to Islam’s law against the depiction of humans and other living organisms.
Instead, it is meant to maintain the sanctity of sacred places and ensure that pilgrims behave in an appropriate manner.
Likewise, Saudi Arabia is taking advantage of the crowds already present within their borders to promote secondary destinations that tend to take the backseat to Makkah and Madinah, as well as Jeddah and Riyadh.
Doing so is key to encouraging pilgrims to stay in the country longer and boost conventional tourism.
