Mecca, Saudi Arabia – In a groundbreaking leap for crowd control and pilgrim safety, Saudi authorities have deployed cutting-edge artificial intelligence to manage the colossal sea of faithful during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. As over a million Muslims converge on the holy city, a sophisticated network of drones, thermal imaging, and AI-powered surveillance is working tirelessly to prevent overcrowding and avert potential tragedies.
Working day and night from control rooms brimming with maps, screens, and an avalanche of data, Saudi officials have leveraged the power of AI to sift through an overwhelming volume of footage from more than 15,000 cameras dotted in and around Mecca. This technological marvel is proving pivotal in tracking the unprecedented scale of human movement.
Crucially, the systems are finely tuned to detect abnormal crowd movements and predict bottlenecks in foot traffic – a potentially life-saving capability at an event with a sombre history of deadly stampedes. Software is also deployed to orchestrate the movements of over 20,000 buses, ferrying pilgrims between holy sites during one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings.
“In our traffic control room, we use specialized cameras that have AI layers to analyse movements, crowded areas and predict behaviours,” explained Mohamed Nazier, chief executive officer for the General Transport Centre at the Royal Commission for Mecca. The centre’s main control room operates around the clock, with staff meticulously monitoring high-tech tools, including AI, to ensure smooth operations.
From hillsides overlooking the winding Hajj route, cameras resembling “little white robots” constantly film buildings, roads, and pathways, ensuring the flow of pilgrims between Mecca and Mount Arafat, a stretch of over 20 kilometres. Nazier elaborated that this continuous vigilance aims to prevent collisions between traffic and pedestrians on the packed routes, while also ensuring a consistent supply of buses to minimise walking time under the scorching desert sun.
‘Our Eye on the Ground’
The memory of past Hajj disasters looms large. It has been a decade since the worst tragedy, a stampede in 2015 that claimed the lives of up to 2,300 people during the “stoning of the devil” ritual. Hundreds more perished in stampedes in 2006, 1998, and 1994, with a particularly horrific incident in 1990 seeing 1,426 pilgrims trampled or asphyxiated due to a tunnel ventilation system failure.
“The control room is our eye on the ground,” affirmed Mohammed al-Qarni, who oversees both the Hajj and the year-round Umrah pilgrimage at the transport centre. He told AFP that artificial intelligence helps determine “the flow on the (roads to the holy sites), and detects emergency situations even before they occur,” adding that the technology can precisely assess the number of people in any given location.
Crucially, cameras and AI can now estimate when a site has reached its maximum capacity, empowering authorities to swiftly divert the flow of pilgrims. This capability was recently demonstrated during the holy month of Ramadan this year when the system accurately identified that the Grand Mosque had reached full capacity. “The flow to the Haram (Grand Mosque) was stopped and the process controlled,” Qarni stated.
Thermal Imaging Targets Unauthorised Pilgrims
The application of advanced technology extends beyond logistics, venturing into the critical realm of tracking unregistered pilgrims – a demographic that tragically accounted for most of the 1,301 deaths during last year’s Hajj, often succumbing to sweltering conditions. With temperatures soaring to a scorching 51.8°C last year, unauthorized worshippers, lacking access to air-conditioned tents and buses, bore the brunt of the extreme heat. Temperatures are forecast to top 40°C this week, making this preventative measure all the more vital.
The Hajj, a sacred obligation for all able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, presents significant logistical and financial hurdles. Official permits are allocated by country quotas and then awarded to individuals via lottery, meaning not everyone can secure or afford one.
To combat the challenge of unauthorised entry this year, a fleet of camera-equipped drones is meticulously monitoring all entrances into Mecca. “We use artificial intelligence and other tools like drones and thermal imaging cameras,” the director general of public security, Lieutenant General Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Bassami, informed reporters. Simultaneously, the Saudi Special Forces for Roads Security are employing “smart thermal imaging” to monitor the perimeters of Mecca and the holy sites, ensuring a safer and more organised pilgrimage for all.
