Saudi authorities have urged Hajj pilgrims to stay in their tents between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Thursday during the peak heat hours due to soaring temperatures.
Hajj Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah advised pilgrims to avoid leaving their tents during this time to reduce the risk of heat exhaustion, especially on the Day of Arafat — the pilgrimage’s high point when devotees gather on the exposed Mount Arafat for prayer.
With temperatures expected to exceed 40°C, officials have stepped up precautions after last year’s deadly heatwave, which claimed over 1,300 lives. This year, more than 250,000 staff from 40 government agencies are on duty, shaded areas have been expanded, thousands of medics are ready, and hundreds of cooling units have been deployed.
As of Sunday, over 1.4 million pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj.
