Hajj pilgrims asked to remain in tents between 10am and 4pm on Day of Arafat amid heat warning

Dubai: Saudi authorities have urged pilgrims to remain inside their tents during the peak hours of this week’s Hajj pilgrimage due to soaring temperatures.

Hajj Minister Tawfiq Al Rabiah requested that pilgrims avoid leaving their tents between 10am and 4pm on Thursday, coinciding with the “Day of Arafat.”

The day traditionally marks the high point of the Hajj, when pilgrims scale Mount Arafat on the outskirts of Mecca.

On this day, pilgrims gather on Mount Arafat — a 230-foot high hill on the outskirts of Mecca — and its surrounding plains for hours of prayer and Quran recitals. The area offers little shade, leaving pilgrims exposed to intense heat.

The health ministry warned, “we advise against climbing mountains or high places on the Day of Arafat as it causes extreme physical exertion and increases the risk of heat exhaustion.”

Temperatures this year are expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius as one of the world’s largest religious gatherings begins on Wednesday.

Authorities have intensified heat-mitigation efforts to prevent a repeat of last year’s tragedy, when 1,301 pilgrims died during a heatwave with temperatures reaching 51.8 degrees Celsius (125.2 Fahrenheit).

More than 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials have been mobilised, doubling measures against heat-related illnesses.

Shaded areas have been expanded by 50,000 square meters (12 acres), thousands of additional medics are on standby, and over 400 cooling units will be deployed, the Hajj minister told AFP.

By Monday, over 1.5 million pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage, officials said.