“NOT NORMAL”
Outside the Grand Mosque in Mecca, water was sprayed from long poles to keep the crowds of worshippers cool.
A few metres away, white-robed pilgrims sought refuge on cool, marble floors in the shaded entrances of hotels and shopping centres while awaiting the next prayer.
More than 32,000 health workers are on hand to treat anyone struck by heatstroke or other ailments, authorities say, while bottles of water are being distributed free of charge.
Many pilgrims hold umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun, while others carry their folded prayer blankets above their heads.
“The heat here is not normal, (it’s) as if it’s the heat of hell,” said Nibal Mohammed, a 70-year-old Syrian pilgrim living in Canada.
“I can’t wait to finish my haj and leave.”
The haj, a major earner for the largely oil-reliant Saudi economy, follows the lunar calendar, meaning it does not always take place during the summer.
This year’s gathering could be the biggest on record, according to officials, after COVID-19 era caps on numbers were removed.
A maximum age limit has also been scrapped, opening the door to large numbers of elderly people who may be more vulnerable to the heat.
Summer in one of the hottest regions on earth can make any outdoor activity hazardous, bringing risks of dehydration, heat stroke and heart failure.
To protect manual workers, Saudi Arabia prohibits outdoor labour from 12pm to 3pm between June and September, the hottest months.
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