What is Hajj and how is it affected by climate change?

Haj’s annual pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam and an important source of income for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday (4), attract millions of Muslims worldwide in rising costs and climate accidents.

Hajj begins in the 12th month of the Islamic year, which occurs at different times in the solar calendar every year. Although it reaches the winter, it is equal to the summer height in Saudi Arabia in the 2040s.

Pilgrimage, mandatory once in life Muslims They are physically fit to pay, which has become more accessible over the years, paving the way to challenges from congestion to weather accidents.

The quota system was introduced in 1987 for Mecca visitors, which was established by the Nations of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OCCI), to limit the number allowed to the country to 0.1% of its population.

In an interview with the Professor Sean McLougin (2) at Islam at the University of Leeds at the University of Leeds, he said in an interview on Monday (2) Reuters.

Professor McLougin said that the requirements of the journey may be due to the quotas, registering a bank account or participating in the lottery system.

However, some pilgrims do not follow official registration processes, which will prevent the participants from registering the necessary and harmful services during Hajj.

Problems that suffer if pilgrims are not registered

In 2024, the Hundreds of pilgrims who died in extreme heat Saudi authorities have not officially registered them, which has not received important services such as air conditioning buses and cooling tents.

Those who were not permitted had to walk at a temperature of more than 50 ° C, and many registered pilgrims were able to travel with air conditioning.

“Haj rituals require significant physical effort. You walk too far, stand in places like Arafat Hill and move in people in people,” Islamic relief global advocacy chief Shahin Ashraf said on Tuesday.

Ashraf said that people with severe heat heart, pulmonary or kidney problems during Hajj increases the risk of fall or death.

She also highlighted the impact of air pollution and climate change, indicating the worsening of air quality due to CO2 emissions arising by severe traffic during Hajj.

“People with asthma or respiratory diseases can suffer from crises or problems,” the lawyer said.

Meteorologists mentioned this These deaths are a glimpse of those who are coming In the coming decades, for millions of Muslims participating in Hajj.

They also highlight an imminent challenge for administrators.

“We know that some of the idle managers promise to enter the Hajj. It can happen worldwide and take pilgrims to Hajj, but if there is no access to services, they can find themselves in difficult situations,” said Professor McLougin.

In an interview with Saudi TV channel al-Arabia, Saudi Internal Ministry Security Representative Colonel Talal bin Shalob said that the lack of authority for unregistered pilgrims has made it difficult to provide services and care.

Government critics have claimed that all the pilgrims should be protected from heat, regardless of their condition.

Hajj commercial

Saudi Arabia is fighting for campaigns and security measures to deal with unauthorized pilgrimage to Haj.

The official package costs, which cost a person $ 5,000 to $ 10,000 (about $ 28,000 to 000 56,000), some Muslims are leading the cheapest routes, without the required authorities, without the required authorities.

Mclouglin has recognized that Haj has been sold for a long time but reflects market forces in recent years. “New taxes and companies, perhaps already open, but now privatized” have come “

We can also see how VAT (value -added tax) and other taxes are added to the cost of services, ”the teacher said.

Saudi Arabia with Hajj and Umra grossed around $ 12 billion annually (about $ 67 billion) annually, according to official 2019 data, the last year before reaching the global travel industry. The pilgrimage with lodging, transport, fees and gifts acts as an important source of income for believers.

Historically, Hajj was instrumental in the Saudi Arabian economy before the oil was found, but the economic fluctuations led the kingdom to explore strategies to reduce the dependence of fossil fuel exports.

“The Saudis are trying to look for ways to varied the economy and recently, from 2016, with a vision of 2030, its basic aspect of pilgrimage and religious tourism,” said McLougin.

Saudi Arabia said it should expand the number of religious tourists with the aim of receiving an annual pilgrimage of Haj and Umrah by 2030 as part of its wide strategy to separate the oil economy.