Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry is using artificial intelligence applications within an integrated work system to serve pilgrims and complete their procedures, Saudi Press Agency reported on April 30.

Hajj this year begins on June 4 and ends June 9 with more than 1.8mn people visiting the Kingdom during the period, according to official statistics. Thousands more also attempted to visit outside official trips, which led to severe overcrowding.

Colonel Talal Al-Shalhoub, security spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, noted that the ministry launched the "Tasreeh" (permit) platform for issuing permits to all government agencies as well as vehicle permits, in coordination with "SDAIA".

The Interior Ministry uses artificial intelligence applications to enhance the work of security personnel in various tasks through the Sawaher and Baseer platforms, as well as using smart devices and drone aircraft. 

These measures come in the wake of the June 2024 disaster, which coincided with scorching heat and resulted in over 1,300 deaths, mostly among undocumented pilgrims who trekked long distances under the sun, according to Saudi authorities.

Speaking on the sidelines of the "Digital Communication Conference" at King Abdulaziz University, which included 140 researchers and experts representing 56 universities and academic and professional institutions from 13 countries around the world, Al-Shalhoub said that strict penalties would be imposed on anyone attempting to facilitate the entry of individuals into Mecca without a permit.

He stressed that penalties would affect all who do not comply with Hajj regulations and instructions, and will be applied to holders of all types of visit visas who attempt to perform Hajj without a permit or enter Mecca, in a bid to avoid the scenes from the 2024 Hajj where hundreds of people died during the period with authorities blaming unofficial pilgrims for the surge in people.

Penalties will also be imposed on transporters, reaching fines of SAR20,000 ($5,333).

Penalties will reach fines of SAR100,000 ($26,667) for violators when caught or when attempting to enter Mecca, as well as for those who transport them, with vehicles being confiscated by judicial ruling. Those providing accommodation will face the same fine, multiplied by the number of individuals.

Following the 2024 deaths, Saudi Arabia issued stringent health regulations for Hajj 2025, banning pilgrims with certain medical conditions, while Egypt has revoked the licences of 36 travel agencies for Hajj-related violations, officials from both countries said last August.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has informed Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs that individuals with complex medical conditions will not be permitted to perform Hajj this year, citing concerns over adverse weather conditions, Ausaf reported.

A spokesman for Pakistan's religious affairs ministry said the ban extends to people with kidney, heart, lung and liver diseases, as well as cancer patients.

The Saudi authorities have attempted to cool down the pilgrims in 2024 by spraying water vapour over large areas and bringing in other technologies to help.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) suggests temperatures are going to keep rising for the next few years. The global mean near-surface temperature for each year between 2024 and 2028 is predicted to be between 1.1°C and 1.9°C higher than the 1850-1900 baseline, according to the WMO report.

It says that it is likely (86%) that at least one of these years will set a new temperature record, beating 2023, currently the warmest year.

Last year’s global temperature was boosted by a strong El Niño. The WMO predicts the development of a La Niña and a return to cooler conditions in the tropical Pacific in the near term.