Saudi Arabia has intensified security, medical, and humanitarian services across Makkah and the holy sites during the peak days of Hajj, according to reports from the Saudi Press Agency. The General Directorate of Passports deployed field teams across Makkah and the holy sites to identify hospitalized and lost pilgrims. These teams are working in coordination with the Ministry of Health and cooperating with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's Nusuk Care initiative to verify the identities of lost individuals.
Modern Technology for Identity Verification
Authorities stated that the teams are equipped with modern mobile technologies that allow officials to verify identities directly on site. Reports are handled through the Hajj and Umrah command and control center in Makkah, ensuring efficient processing.
Scouts Association Expands Services
The Saudi Arabian Scouts Association expanded its volunteer and field services to support pilgrim movement to Mina during the Day of Tarwiyah. Teams were deployed across roads, corridors, and camps. Scouts are providing guidance and humanitarian support, assisting elderly and disabled pilgrims, and helping to reunite lost pilgrims with their groups. More than 350 scouts and their leaders have been stationed across 14 hospitals and healthcare centers to support Ministry of Health teams.
Red Crescent Authority at Full Capacity
The Saudi Red Crescent Authority raised operational readiness to full capacity, intensifying emergency medical coverage across Makkah and the holy sites during the stoning ritual and Tawaf Al-Ifadah. The authority's emergency response plan includes fixed medical centers, rapid-response units, ambulance motorcycles, and pedestrian teams designed to reach patients quickly in densely crowded areas. Ambulances equipped with advanced medical technologies and volunteer teams are operating in coordination with other government agencies serving pilgrims.
Medical Evacuation Aircraft Deployed
The Ministry of Defense announced that its medical evacuation department is participating in this year's Hajj with four fully equipped aircraft dedicated to emergency transport for pilgrims. These aircraft operate in direct coordination with field hospitals, medical centers, and ambulance teams across the holy sites to ensure rapid response and timely treatment for critical cases. The ministry noted that the air medical evacuation fleet also continues to conduct patient transfers within and outside the Kingdom as part of the integrated healthcare system supporting Hajj operations.
Saudi Arabia has deployed hundreds of thousands of personnel and volunteers during Hajj 2026 as the Kingdom oversees one of the world's largest annual religious gatherings. Authorities have expanded infrastructure, crowd-management systems, emergency response capabilities, and digital services in recent years to improve pilgrim safety and facilitate movement between Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah during the pilgrimage season.
