Hajj 2021 pilgrims arrived at Masjid al-Haram (the Grand Mosque) in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday to perform the Tawaf of Arrival (Tawaf al-Qudum).
Hajj 1442 Hijri AH Hajj 2021 was initially announced to be limited to 60,000 Saudi national pilgrims only. But with the rising number of delta variants, the threshold has been lowered further and those who have paid for Hajj permits can apply for refunds.
The General Presidency for the affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque (in Medina) has taken major preparations and dedicated all possible means to ensure that the pilgrims perform the holy rituals safely and smoothly with the necessary health precautions in place amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
This is the second Hajj to be performed under pandemic conditions and for those who have watched or observed Hajj from years gone by, a drastically, subdued event. Usually, before the pandemic, a typical Hajj event would welcome in excess of 4 million international travellers and is the largest, truly global, Muslim gathering in the world.
Hajj 1442 / Hajj 2021 Masjid al-Haram welcomes pilgrims
The Director of the General Department of Crowds at the Grand Holy Mosque (Masjid al-Haram), Osama bin Mansour Al-Hujaili said authorities are prepared for some 11,000 pilgrims, who will perform Saturday’s rituals.
Over 500 personnel will receive the pilgrims at the Grand Mosque and ensure that social distancing and other regulations are respected.
The Saudi mission for Hajj and Umrah in the furture
Pilgrims greeted with AI technology
Robots, interactive screens, and other tech solutions are being used extensively this year at Hajj. Pilgrims will be welcomed and supported with AI systems being part of a broader Saudi technology, innovation, and data revolution designed to raise the performance of Hajj services.
Such technological integration matches Saudi Arabia’s firm policy for facilitating the spiritual journey of pilgrims visiting Islam’s holiest sites in the Kingdom.
The projects include operation and maintenance contracts, installing smart devices to educate and guide pilgrims, and launching the Wi-Fi service in the Namirah Mosque located in Arafat valley.
Authorities will also install 62 screens to broadcast awareness-raising messages in different languages. The ministry will provide 30 interactive screens for the Islamic electronic library.
The Saudi vision 2030 – The future
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah performs its duties in coordination with governmental and private bodies to facilitate the performance of rituals and to regulate and codify the service through the development of systems and the use of technology and raise the efficiency of employees in the service of the guests of Rahman.
The journey of Hajj, Umrah and the visit is easy, easy and easy to maintain in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, to remain a memorable and wonderful memory in the memory of Hajj and Umrah and the visitor to achieve satisfaction, and make him ambassador to the world the efforts of the Kingdom in the service of the guests of Rahman
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