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, defying searing temperatures under the desert sun as they fulfilled a lifelong dream.
From daybreak, thousands of white-robed worshippers recited Quranic verses on the 70-metre rocky hill near Mecca.
Volunteers handed out bottles of water and food packages to the tens of thousands of pilgrims as they made their way towards Mount Arafat, as helicopters buzzed overhead regularly.
'It is an indescribable feeling,' said Ahmed Abu al Ezz, a 35-year-old Egyptian engineer, as he approached Mount Arafat for the first time.
More than 1.5 million people have joined the Haj this year under the shadow of the Middle East war sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
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.
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.
More than 50,000 healthcare staff and 3,000 ambulances were deployed to help pilgrims in need, the Saudi health ministry said.
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. - AFP