Ibtesam Gul
Saudi Arabia has finished its preparations for Hajj 2026.
The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites says it spent 6 billion riyals across four years on the overhaul, with development firm Kidana handling execution.
Most of the money went into the basics. Mina has 7,800 toilets now, up from before, after a new two-story complex was built — officials say that should cut waiting times by 75 percent. Pedestrian rest areas cover 66,000 square meters. Water networks at more than 900 installations were rehabilitated; the commission says they can handle over 38,000 pilgrims daily.
Getting millions of people around the holy sites takes 24,000 buses. About 2,500 of those are dedicated to transfers from arrival points, and Makkah Buses is running 400 new vehicles on 14 fixed routes. All four Ring Roads are open.
The heat is the other problem. Temperatures in Makkah during Hajj regularly exceed 40°C, and this year the commission installed 400 misting fans in the Jamarat courtyards and shaded 105,000 square meters of pedestrian walkways. Mina Emergency Hospital has doubled its clinical capacity. Sixty thousand trees were planted across the sites, and Arafat got new shading and cooling infrastructure.
Commission CEO Engr. Saleh Al-Rasheed walked the sites — Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat — before the season opened, checking the Holy Sites Route project, power stations, and the hospital.
Infrastructure: What’s Been Built
The focus was on sanitation and basic services — the things pilgrims actually notice:
- Toilets: A new two-story complex in Mina brings the total to 7,800. Officials say waiting times should drop by 75 percent.
- Rest areas: Pedestrian walkways and rest zones now cover 66,000 square meters.
- Water: Networks across more than 900 installations were overhauled. The system is rated to handle over 38,000 pilgrims a day.
- Ritual sacrifice: Digital management systems are in place to handle slaughter logistics in line with Sharia requirements and waste disposal standards.
Transport and Crowd Movement
The General Transport Center is running a central control room with real-time monitoring across the road network:
- 24,000 buses total for the season.
- 2,500 assigned specifically to transfers from arrival points.
- 400 new Makkah Buses running 14 fixed routes.
- All four Ring Roads are open, linking the holy sites to the central area.
Health and Heat
Temperatures at Hajj regularly hit 40°C or above. This year’s measures:
- Arafat has new shading structures and cooling systems installed across the plains.
- Mina Emergency Hospital doubled its clinical capacity.
- Jamarat courtyards got 400 misting fans; 105,000 square meters of walking paths are now shaded.
- 60,000 trees planted across the sites.
