In the midst of intense summer heat, Saudi authorities are getting ready to welcome over a million Hajj visitors with artificial intelligence, additional shade, and misting devices.
Ahead of this year’s pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia’s Hajj Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah told AFP on Thursday that attempts to lessen the intense desert heat were still a high priority for organizers and officials.
He told AFP in an exclusive interview in Riyadh that “the rising temperature over the years is one of the big challenges that we always face and this is an issue that we give top priority.”
As authorities attempt to avoid a recurrence of the Hajj last year, in which over 1,300 pilgrims perished due to temperatures reaching 51.8 degrees Celsius (125.24 degrees Fahrenheit), the problem is made even more urgent.
