More than 1.3 million pilgrims have gathered in Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj, with participants traveling from across the globe to perform religious rites and prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

The annual pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, necessitating that every Muslim perform Hajj at least once in their lifetime, provided they are able to do so.

In 2023, a total of 1.65 million pilgrims from outside Saudi Arabia took part in Hajj.

The following year saw a decline to 1.59 million participants; however, there was a noted increase in the number of pilgrims originating from European countries.

Despite this fluctuation, over 60 percent of the pilgrims continued to come from Asian nations, highlighting the region's predominance in Hajj participation.

Logistically, the Hajj pilgrimage poses significant challenges due to the scale of the event.

In 2022, the Mataf, the area surrounding the Kaaba within the Grand Mosque, was reported to accommodate up to 107,000 pilgrims per hour, while the mosque itself has a total capacity of two million.

The Saudi authorities have implemented strict measures to ensure the safety and order of the pilgrimage, including fines for those attempting to perform Hajj without an official permit.

Additionally, drones have been deployed to monitor crowd movement and maintain safety protocols throughout the Hajj activities.