Million-plus pilgrims begin Hajj under blazing sun

More than a million pilgrims joined Islam's most important rite under a beating sun on Wednesday, as the Hajj pilgrimage kicked off with the Saudi hosts scrambling to avoid last year's 1,000-plus deaths in sweltering heat.

With temperatures expected to top 40C, robed pilgrims slowly circled the Kaaba, the black cube at the heart of Mecca's Grand Mosque, which is Islam's holiest site.

State media reported that others had begun arriving in the sprawling tent city of Mina on Mecca's outskirts, where they will stay overnight before the Hajj's high point, the Thursday prayers on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammed is believed to have delivered his final sermon.

Approximately 1.4 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of the Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam that all Muslims with the means must perform at least once.

Authorities have ratcheted up heat protection measures such as extra shade to avoid a repeat of last year, when 1,301 people died as temperatures hit 51C.

On Wednesday, pilgrims will perform the tawaf, walking seven times around the Kaaba, which Muslims pray towards each day.

Before entering Mecca, pilgrims must first enter a state of purity, called ihram, which requires special dress and behaviour.

Men don a seamless shroud-like white garment that emphasises unity among believers, regardless of their social status or nationality.

Women, in turn, wear abayas, exposing only their faces and hands.

Pilgrims arriving on buses had begun already trickling into Mina on Tuesday afternoon, greeted by staff offering them coffee and dates.

Artificial intelligence

Following last year's lethal heatwave, authorities have mobilised more than 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials to improve protection.

Shaded areas have been enlarged by 50,000 square metres (12 acres), thousands of additional medics will be on standby, and more than 400 cooling units will be deployed, Hajj Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah told AFP last week.

Artificial intelligence technology will help process the deluge of data, including video from a new fleet of drones, to manage the massive crowds better.

Authorities said most of the deaths last year were among unregistered pilgrims who lacked access to air-conditioned tents and buses.

This year, they have cracked down on the unregistered, using frequent raids, drone surveillance and a barrage of text alerts.

Hajj permits are allocated to countries on a quota basis and distributed to individuals through a lottery system.

But even for those who can obtain them, the steep costs prompt many to attempt the Hajj without a permit, even though they risk arrest and deportation if caught.

Large crowds at the Hajj have proved hazardous in the past, most notably in 2015 when a stampede during the "stoning the devil" ritual in Mina killed up to 2,300 people in the deadliest Hajj disaster.

Saudi Arabia earns billions of dollars annually from the Hajj, as well as the lesser pilgrimage known as Umrah, which can be undertaken at other times of the year.