Saudi Arabia Increases Health and Humanitarian Services for Hajj Pilgrims

Illustration of pilgrims during the Wukuf at Arafah. (Wikimedia Commons/Al Jazeera English)

Saudi Arabia - Saudi authorities have increased field, medical and humanitarian services across Mecca and the holy sites during the peak of the 1447 Hijri Hajj season, deploying special teams, emergency units and volunteers to support millions of pilgrims, according to a report by the Saudi News Agency (SPA).

The Directorate General of Passports said it had deployed field teams across Mecca and the holy sites to identify pilgrims who were hospitalized and missing during the Hajj season.

The teams are working with the Ministry of Health to identify patients in hospitals and health centers, and are working with the Nusuk Care initiative of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to verify the identity of missing people, reported by Arab News (28/5).

Authorities said the teams are equipped with modern mobile technology that allows officers to verify identities on-site, with reports handled through the Hajj and Umrah command and control center in Mecca.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabian Scout Association is expanding volunteer services and fields to support the movement of pilgrims to Mina during Tarwiyah Day, by deploying scout teams along roads, corridors, and campsites.

Hajj pilgrims. (Source: SPA)

The scouts provided humanitarian guidance and support, helping elderly and disabled pilgrims, and helping to reunite lost pilgrims with their groups, SPA reported.

More than 350 scouts and scout leaders were also stationed at seven hospitals and seven health centers in Makkah and the holy sites to support the Ministry of Health team by managing the movement of visitors, assisting patients, and transporting elderly pilgrims using strollers.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Red Crescent Authority has also increased operational readiness to full capacity during Eid al-Adha, increasing emergency medical coverage throughout Makkah and the holy sites during the stone-throwing ritual and Tawaf Al-Ifadah.

Its emergency response plan includes fixed medical centers, rapid response units, ambulance motorcycles, and a team of walkers designed to quickly reach patients in densely populated areas.

Authorities said ambulances equipped with advanced medical technology and volunteer teams operate in coordination with other government agencies serving Hajj pilgrims.

Separately, the Ministry of Defense said its air medical evacuation department participated in this year's Hajj season with four fully equipped aircraft dedicated to emergency medical transport for pilgrims.

The aircraft operate in direct coordination with field hospitals, medical centers, and ambulance teams throughout the holy sites to ensure a rapid response and timely treatment for critical cases.

The ministry said the air medical evacuation fleet also continued to transfer patients inside and outside the Kingdom as part of an integrated health care system supporting the Hajj operation.

It is known that Saudi Arabia has deployed hundreds of thousands of personnel and volunteers during the 2026 Hajj as the Kingdom oversees one of the world's largest annual religious gatherings.

Authorities have expanded infrastructure, crowd management systems, emergency response capabilities, and digital services in recent years to improve the safety of pilgrims and facilitate movement between Mina, Arafah and Muzdalifah during the Hajj season.