By Ayomide Otitoju
Saudi authorities have urged pilgrims observing this year’s hajj to remain in their tents during peak hours on Thursday, citing extreme heat expected during the pilgrimage’s most significant ritual, the Day of Arafat.
According to Saudi media reports, Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq al-Rabiah, advised pilgrims to stay indoors between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. local time as temperatures are forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
The Day of Arafat, traditionally regarded as the spiritual climax of the hajj, involves hours of prayer and Quranic recitation on Mount Arafat, a 70-metre-high hill on the outskirts of Mecca. However, the site offers minimal shade, leaving pilgrims vulnerable to intense desert heat.
In a separate advisory, the Saudi Ministry of Health warned pilgrims against climbing mountainous or elevated areas, citing risks of heat exhaustion from extreme physical exertion.
“We warn against climbing mountains or high places on the Day of Arafat, as it causes extreme physical exertion and increases the risk of heat exhaustion,” the ministry stated.
In anticipation of the harsh weather, Saudi authorities have significantly expanded heat mitigation efforts to avoid a repeat of last year’s deadly hajj, during which 1,301 pilgrims died as temperatures soared to a record 51.8 degrees Celsius (125.2°F).
More than 40 government agencies and 250,000 personnel have been mobilised this year to enhance safety, the Hajj Minister told AFP. Mitigation measures include an additional 50,000 square metres of shaded areas, thousands of medical personnel on standby, and the deployment of over 400 cooling units.
As of Sunday, more than 1.4 million pilgrims from around the world had arrived in the kingdom to partake in the religious rites, which officially begin Wednesday.
