Thousands of Muslim pilgrims began departing the holy city of Mecca on Friday after completing the annual Hajj pilgrimage, carried out under extreme heat conditions and amid heightened tensions across the Middle East.
This year’s pilgrimage saw more than 1.7 million participants from 165 countries, making it one of the world’s largest religious gatherings despite ongoing regional instability linked to the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Since the outbreak of war earlier this year, Iran has reportedly launched retaliatory drone and missile strikes across parts of the Gulf region, including areas near Saudi Arabia, where Mecca is located.
More than 30,000 Iranian pilgrims participated in this year’s Hajj, significantly lower than the 86,000 initially expected, with Iranian authorities citing wartime conditions for the reduction.
“I can’t believe I completed the Hajj,” said Egyptian pilgrim Ahmed Mamdouh, describing the experience as physically demanding but spiritually fulfilling.
Another pilgrim, 74-year-old Al-Zaoui from Algeria, described completing the pilgrimage with his wife as a lifelong dream fulfilled after 50 years of marriage.
On Friday, pilgrims completed the final stages of the ritual, including the symbolic stoning ceremony in the valley of Mina, where worshippers throw pebbles at pillars representing the devil.
They later proceeded to the Grand Mosque in Mecca to perform the farewell “tawaf,” circling the Kaaba seven times as part of the concluding rites.
The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake it at least once in their lifetime.
The pilgrimage spans several days of mostly outdoor rituals, often carried out under extreme weather conditions.
Saudi authorities have introduced enhanced safety measures following the deaths of more than 1,300 pilgrims during the 2024 Hajj, when temperatures exceeded 50°C.
These measures include expanded shaded areas, improved crowd management systems, and the deployment of thousands of additional health workers.
According to the Saudi Red Crescent, emergency services attended to more than 83,000 pilgrims throughout this year’s Hajj season.
Despite environmental and geopolitical challenges, the pilgrimage continues to draw millions of worshippers from around the world in one of the most significant religious gatherings on the global calendar.
