Over 2.5 million pilgrims gather at Arafat for history’s biggest Hajj

RIYADH: Over 2.5 million Muslims are headed to Makkah to perform the pilgrimage of Hajj, which is expected to be the biggest in history as massive crowds could break attendance records despite soaring temperatures and all-time high costs.

Worshipers crowded Mount Arafat from before dawn on Tuesday. Mount Arafat is where Prophet Muhammad ﷺ delivered his final sermon in which he preached on equality, the rights of women, unity and accountability.

High temperatures have been a constant challenge for the pilgrims, who come from around the world, and the mercury hit 44 degrees celsius before midday on the Hajj’s most physically demanding day.

Tree-shaped water towers sprayed cooling showers on the visitors, and free water bottles and snacks were handed out from large trucks.

Six field hospitals with more than 300 beds have been arranged in Arafat, Yasser Bair, a Saudi defence ministry official, told the state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV.

“This year, we will witness the largest Hajj in history,” if things go according to plan, predicted an official with the Saudi ministry of Hajj and Umrah. “The numbers will exceed 2.5 million pilgrims,” added the official.