Proactive environmental preparations to ensure the safety of pilgrims
As part of ongoing efforts to protect the environment and ensure the health and safety of pilgrims, the National Center for Environmental Compliance announced a more than 30% increase in its preparedness level within its proactive monitoring plan for the current Hajj season, compared to last year. This intensive campaign, which began on the 20th of Dhu al-Qi'dah and continues until the beginning of Dhu al-Hijjah, targets Makkah, Madinah, and Jeddah, aiming to create ideal environmental conditions for pilgrims before their arrival at the holy sites.
Historical context: The shift towards “green pilgrimage”
Historically, managing millions of pilgrims within a limited geographical area and a short timeframe has posed a formidable environmental challenge, particularly concerning carbon emissions, waste management, and air quality. With the launch of Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative, the Kingdom has taken significant steps to transform the Hajj season into a global model of environmental sustainability, known as “Green Hajj.” These stringent regulatory measures are an extension of the Kingdom’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and improving the quality of life in the holy cities.
Details of inspection tours and monitoring stages
Adel Al-Ghamdi, supervisor of the Hajj team at the center, explained that the first phase of the plan focused primarily on industrial facilities and mining complexes located along the roads leading to Mecca. More than 430 inspection and monitoring visits were conducted to ensure these facilities' compliance with the strict environmental standards and requirements imposed by the state.
Al-Ghamdi added that the second phase, which continues until the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, focuses on intensifying monitoring tours and detecting any environmental violations within Mecca and the holy sites. To achieve this, 11 advanced air quality monitoring stations have been deployed, including three strategic stations distributed across Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah, in addition to specialized devices for measuring noise levels to reduce noise pollution.
Employing modern technologies and artificial intelligence
To ensure the highest levels of accuracy and speed, the National Center for Environmental Compliance relies on a range of advanced technologies. These include sophisticated modeling, satellite imagery, mobile laboratories, and drones. These technologies provide real-time and accurate data for monitoring the environment and support a geographic database to identify locations with potential environmental impacts, thus enhancing the speed of response to emergencies.
The local and international impact of environmental monitoring efforts
Domestically, these measures contribute to protecting the public health of pilgrims and citizens, and reducing the incidence of respiratory illnesses linked to air pollution. Regionally and internationally, the Kingdom's success in managing the environmental aspects of the world's largest annual human gathering provides a model for sustainable crowd management and reinforces Saudi Arabia's position as a leading nation in environmental protection and combating climate change.
Transparency and community engagement
In a move reflecting the principle of transparency, the center publishes daily air quality indicators for the vicinity of the Grand Mosque and the Holy Sites through its official account on the “X” platform, its website, and local media outlets. Al-Ghamdi concluded his statement by emphasizing the crucial role of the community and pilgrims in protecting the environment, urging everyone to report any environmental violations via the unified number (988) to ensure immediate action before their environmental impact worsens.
