Saudi Arabia implements new entry and exit routes at Grand Mosque

Dubai: With the final ten days of Ramadan drawing record numbers of worshippers and Umrah performers, the General Authority for the Care of the Two Holy Mosques has rolled out a series of organized entry and exit routes at the Grand Mosque in Mecca to ease crowd movement and prevent congestion during one of the holiest periods in the Islamic calendar.

The authority has designated several main gates as primary access points for worshippers, making entry and exit more efficient. These gates, easily identifiable by their minarets, include King Abdulaziz Gate (1), King Fahd Gate (79), and King Abdullah Gate (100), which serve as the main entrances and exits for those visiting the mosque.

To ensure ease of access to the Mataf area, where pilgrims perform Tawaf (circumambulation) around the Kaaba, worshippers are directed to use the Shubaika Bridge, Ajyad Bridge, and the Al Arqam Bridge—routes specifically intended to ease pressure on interior corridors and maintain a steady flow of movement.

Exits from the Al Masa’a area, the pathway between Safa and Marwah, have also been strategically managed. Worshippers exiting from both the ground and first floors can use Al Safa Gate (Gate 13), the Prophet Mohammed Gate, Al Marwah Gate, Al Marwah Bridge, and the Al Marwah Wheelchair Bridge, providing multiple options and reducing bottlenecks in high-traffic zones.