Saudi Arabia is high-techifying the Hajj – but does modernisation taint its sanctity?
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca is undergoing a state-of-the-art transformation this year. But will tech spoil the spiritual experience for attending pilgrims?
As more than 1.5 million pilgrims descend on Mecca for this year’s Hajj, Saudi Arabia is leaning heavily on technology to manage the world’s largest annual religious gathering. Overhead drones equipped with AI technology monitor crowds, assess potential risks and even deliver medicine. Underfoot, the marble floors of the Great Mosque are kept between a cool 22 to 24C by the largest air-conditioning system on the planet. Thousands of misting fans, shaded walkways and water stations are in position – all part of a vast logistical effort to protect pilgrims from the heat that claimed 1,300 lives during last year’s holy ritual.
On the surface these measures are sensible, even necessary. With climate change intensifying and the Hajj continuing to attract growing numbers, ensuring safety is no small feat. Saudi Arabia has also turned away more than 270,000 unregistered pilgrims to prevent overcrowding, a contentious but arguably vital move.
This year sees the debut of the Falcon drone, developed by the General Directorate of Civil Defence. This isn’t just any surveillance tool – it’s a firefighting and rescue-ready machine that can fly for up to 12 hours, carry a 40kg payload, and beam thermal and live footage back to command centres. It’s designed for complex environments, from high-rises and dense crowds to industrial zones and hazardous sites, making it a handy addition to the world’s biggest crowd-control exercise.
But as someone who has lived in and covered the Middle East, as well as having taken the religious trip to Mecca myself, I can’t help but reflect on the change of atmosphere this creates. The spiritual essence of Hajj – its rituals of humility, stillness and submission – is now conducted against the backdrop of humming machinery and the mechanical whirr of surveillance drones. For many, this might feel like a dystopian layer superimposed on one of the world’s most sacred traditions. There’s something deeply moving about the sight of millions dressed in black and white, united in purpose. But how does that moment feel when it’s accompanied by the low buzz of a UAV or the artificial cool of an enormous HVAC system?
That said, it’s important to recognise that this is Saudi Arabia’s attempt to future-proof an event that is both ancient and increasingly hard to manage. It’s also a glimpse into a new national identity – one that fuses religious heritage with technical prowess. Mecca and Medina host most of the kingdom’s hotel rooms, both existing and under construction, reflecting the importance of religious tourism in the broader Vision 2030 agenda.
In fact, there might be a lesson here for other nations too. Whether managing religious festivals, cultural events or urban crowds, the blend of old and new is becoming a universal challenge. How do we preserve tradition while adapting to a warming world and growing populations? It’s a delicate balance. Faith can flourish in the future but perhaps it’s worth investing some of that wealth into quieter tech.
