Pilgrims pray on Mount Arafat as Haj reaches peak

MOUNT ARAFAT: Huge numbers of Muslims prayed on Mount Arafat on Tuesday at the climax of the Haj pilgrimage, as a punishing desert sun sent temperatures soaring towards 40C.
From daybreak, thousands of white-robed worshippers recited Quranic verses on the 70-metre (230 feet) rocky hill near Mecca, where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is believed to have delivered his last sermon.

More than 1.5 million people have joined the Haj this year despite the shadow of war across the Middle East created by the US and Israeli war with Iran.
During the fighting, Tehran retaliated with waves of drone and ballistic missile strikes, hitting major infrastructure and energy installations across the Gulf, including in Saudi Arabia.
More than 30,000 Iranians have made the journey, about a third of the 86,000 originally expected. Iran's IRNA state news agency said the 'wartime situation' explained the drop.
Despite the war, Saudi officials said over the weekend that more pilgrims had travelled from abroad this year than in 2025.

The Haj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means to do so.
With temperatures hitting 44 degrees in Mecca in recent days, Saudi authorities have urged pilgrims to drink plenty of water and protect themselves from the sun during the mostly outdoor rituals, which can take five days or more to complete.
Since men are prohibited from wearing hats, many carry umbrellas to try to keep the blistering sun at bay.

After Mount Arafat, pilgrims will spend the night in Muzdalifah, where they will collect pebbles for the symbolic 'stoning of the devil' ritual in Mina, starting on Wednesday.
The Haj is said to follow the path of the Prophet Muhammad's final pilgrimage, about 1,400 years ago.
Meanwhile, with temperatures hitting 45C in Mecca this week, Saudi health workers have increasingly relied on drones to supply a vast array of medical clinics treating heat-stressed pilgrims during the Haj.
The rituals at the Haj have been a constant for centuries.

But technology is rapidly changing the experience for pilgrims and officials alike - with AI, UAVs and mobile apps providing crucial services, logistical support and helping manage the mammoth crowds.
Rather than relying on congested roads filled with over 1.5 million pilgrims, drones in particular have proven to be a technological remedy for helping keep the 127 clinics spread across Mecca, Mina and Arafat adequately provisioned.

'The main goal is to provide fast service to the guests of Allah during the season,' Fahd al Bathi, the chief operating officer at the National Unified Procurement Company (NUPCO), said.
Preparations for the medical needs of the Haj season began nine months ago.
Standing before a colour-coded map of medical centres dotting the area, the NUPCO operations officer Turki al Obaidi said his teams work around the clock during the Haj. - AFP