Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in added safety and security measures as the Kingdom hosts this year’s estimated 1.85 million Hajj pilgrims.
Photos from the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) show Saudi civil defense forces and medical personnel on standby ready to ensure a safe and peaceful Hajj.
Temperatures soared over 100 degrees during each day of the Hajj.
Temperatures throughout the week topped 100°F (28°C), making the journey for those performing one of the five pillars of Islam challenging.
According to VOA and Arab News, authorities had conducted 1,000 health and safety training courses in recent weeks and deployed 26,000 medical, technical and other official personnel to pilgrimage areas in Mecca, Medina, Arafat and Mina, along with a fleet of more than 175 ambulances.
Security was tight for the Hajj as Saudi Arabia looked to ensure the safety of pilgrims.
Arab News also reported that security officials have placed 1,000 cameras at strategic locations to allow constant monitoring of events, and pilgrims were given electronic wristbands.
“We won’t hesitate to sacrifice ourselves to protect pilgrims and foil the plots of those who seek to undermine their security and safety,” a spokesman for the interior ministry said on Friday, as reported in the Wall Street Journal.
Today is the first day of Eid Al-Adha, which is Islam’s most important holiday, marking Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and lasts until Thursday, September 15.
