Battle against the sun

That is at time the hardship that any organizations faces and for Saudi Arabia it tends to be heat. Yesterday I saw in Arab News (at https://arab.news/w7bxj) the setting ‘Eco-friendly and safer walkways expanded by 33% at Makkah Hajj sites’ with the subtext “Saudi authorities have announced the expansion of roads made of flexible rubber asphalt by 33 percent this year. (SPA)” 

I personally do not believe to have ever seen such improvements to any event anywhere else in the world. And when you realise that the setting is stated to be “with work on the road extending from Namirah Mosque to Al-Mashaer train station in Arafat, raising the total area to 16,000 sq. meters” you will be baffled by the improvements made. I myself have walked almost 5729km within the last year, I have some experience with distances, although I have to admit that I never walked those in the Saudi sun in summer. In light of the statistics that we are given “Hajj 2025 is expected to start on June 4, subject to confirmation by Saudi Arabia’s official moon-sighting authorities.

As of May 21, 2025, 755,344 pilgrims had arrived in the Kingdom from abroad through air, land and sea entry points, according to the General Directorate of Passports, also known as the Jawazath” as well as “Saudi officials expect the number of pilgrims for Hajj this year to surpass last year’s figure, which the General Authority for Statistics counted at 1.83 million. Of that number, 1.61 million arrived from outside the Kingdom, while 221,854 were internal pilgrims, including citizens and expatriates.” These improvements will matter. You might find this strange that I am impressed with these statistics as a non-Muslim. Yet I have seen walks from all kinds of locations. Yet less than a year ago I completed the Saint Frances Way (Florence to Rome), which was 503km, so you can say that I am somewhat familiar with the concept of walking. And it will a very international event with Indonesian pilgrims are expected to form the biggest delegation again for Hajj 2025. Last year, 221,000 Indonesian pilgrims arrived in the Kingdom for Hajj, followed by Pakistan with 180,000. India was third at 175,025, Bangladesh was fourth at 127,198, and Nigeria completed the top five with 95,000 pilgrims. The expected Saudi support system is likely to baffle the world to see it in action. I saw on YouTube a video on the support system at the Hajj. It was called ‘How Millions of Hajj Meals 🍝 Are Cooked Daily In Makkah 🤍 Incredible 🤯 Hajj 2025’ by ZubairRiazz (at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlHO_1XF_zU&t=100s), these meals are prepared three times a day in the Arafat Kitchen Makkah. I don’t speak Arabic, so the information wasn’t clear to me, but the view on this kitchen is totally unbelievable. I have never seen an operation like this put to view, not one Army kitchen view of this size have I ever seen before and this kitchen is there to service 1.83 million meals three times a day for the duration of the Hajj. I am not certain if this is the only kitchen working on this Hajj. But the needs of the Hajj pilgrims is well catered and cared for. 

And before you start thinking that this wasn’t done last year, think again. People are shouting about the lives lost during last years Hajj better remember that the bulk of these losses were people who didn’t have a Hajj Visa, they illegally invaded the Hajj. Even though they would have likely received food, the tents, and resting facilities are only for the owners of a Hajj Visa and they are strictly enforced. So those people miss out on the resting places (away from the sun) as well as water fountains. I wonder if any of the criminals peddling these ‘travel arrangements’ of fake Hajj permits were ever arrested and prosecuted. 

I guess we will have to see, what is clear is that the 16,000 sq. meters of new flexible rubber asphalt will improve the hardship on the elderly making the pilgrimage this year. 

Have a great day and take a walk for the bloodstream if needed.