Saudi Arabia says Hajj will not be exploited as over 1.5 million pilgrims arrive

MAKKAH — Saudi Arabia stressed on Friday that it will not allow the Hajj season to be exploited for any activities that violate its religious purpose, as authorities announced the arrival of more than 1.5 million pilgrims from abroad and revealed the dismantling of hundreds of fake Hajj campaigns across the Kingdom. The remarks came during a press conference held by Hajj security commanders at the Unified Security Operations Center (911) in Makkah, where officials reviewed security, traffic and organizational plans for the 1447H Hajj season. Director of Public Security and Chairman of the Hajj Security Committee Lieutenant General Mohammed Al-Bassami confirmed the full readiness of the Hajj security system to carry out its duties during the pilgrimage season. “Our goal is for the pilgrim to reach his destination, perform his rituals and return safely to his homeland,” Al-Bassami said, calling on pilgrims to focus solely on worship. He explained that crowd management plans focus on organizing movement flows, distributing crowd density and reducing route overlap as much as possible, while advanced technologies work alongside security personnel to enforce Hajj regulations and detect fake campaigns and violators. Al-Bassami revealed that authorities had dismantled more than 217 fake Hajj campaigns nationwide and turned back 7733 violators of residency, labor and border security laws who attempted to enter Makkah illegally.Authorities also denied entry to 366,000 unauthorized individuals at Makkah entry points and intercepted thousands of unauthorized vehicles used to transport violators. He said field indicators showed a significant improvement in compliance compared with last year, including a 44% drop in the number of violators and deportees, a 12% decrease in fake Hajj campaigns and a 33% reduction in violations related to residency and border regulations. Commander of the Special Emergency Forces Lieutenant General Mohammed Al-Omari said security plans were “integrated, proactive and flexible,” with forces deployed across key locations including Namirah Mosque, Jabal Al-Rahmah and the Jamarat facility to regulate crowd movement and maintain safety. Director General of Civil Defense Major General Dr. Hamoud Al-Faraj said authorities had intensified preventive safety measures and integrated modern technologies and artificial intelligence systems to monitor risks and improve rapid response capabilities during the Hajj season. Acting Director General of Passports Major General Dr. Saleh Al-Murabba announced that more than 1.518 million pilgrims had arrived from abroad as of Friday afternoon, including over 1.457 million through airports.