Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that over 1,300 pilgrims died during the Hajj pilgrimage amid intense heat, with the majority lacking official permits.
“Regrettably, the number of mortalities reached 1,301, with 83% being unauthorized to perform Hajj and having walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
Last week, an AFP tally based on official statements and reports from diplomats placed the death toll at over 1,100.
The deceased hailed from more than 10 countries, ranging from the United States to Indonesia, with ongoing updates from some governments. Arab diplomats noted that 658 of the deaths were Egyptians, with 630 being unregistered pilgrims.
Most deaths were heat-related, diplomats said. Mecca saw temperatures soar to 51.8 degrees Celsius, according to the national meteorological center.
Until Sunday, Riyadh had not publicly commented on the deaths or provided its own toll. On Friday, a senior Saudi official reported a partial toll of 577 deaths for the two busiest days of Hajj: June 15 and 16.
The official defended Riyadh’s response, blaming the high toll on individuals who underestimated the risks.
‘Heat Stress’
Saudi health minister Fahd Al-Jalajel described the management of this year’s Hajj as “successful,” with the health system providing more than 465,000 specialized treatment services, including 141,000 services to unauthorized pilgrims. However, he did not specify how many deaths were heat-related.
“The health system addressed numerous cases of heat stress this year, with some individuals still under care,” SPA reported.
Among the deceased were several elderly and chronically ill individuals.
The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is mandatory for all Muslims who can afford it at least once in their lifetime. This year, 1.8 million pilgrims participated, with 1.6 million coming from abroad.
For the past several years, Hajj rituals have fallen during the sweltering Saudi summer. The timing of Hajj moves forward by about 11 days each year in the Gregorian calendar, potentially offering cooler conditions next year.
A 2019 study by Geophysical Research Letters warned that due to climate change, heat stress for Hajj pilgrims will exceed the “extreme danger threshold” from 2047 to 2052 and 2079 to 2086, with increasing frequency and intensity.
Off-the-books Hajj
Hajj permits are allocated on a quota system and distributed by lottery. The high costs prompt many to attempt the pilgrimage without a permit, risking arrest and deportation.
Before Hajj, Saudi authorities said they had cleared hundreds of thousands of unregistered pilgrims from Mecca. However, around 400,000 unregistered pilgrims participated, with most being Egyptians.
On Saturday, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly ordered 16 tourism companies stripped of their licenses and referred their managers to the public prosecutor for organizing illegal pilgrimages to Mecca.
The rise in deaths among unregistered Egyptian pilgrims was attributed to companies organizing Hajj programs using personal visit visas, which do not allow entry to Mecca through official channels. Unregistered pilgrims lacked access to amenities, such as air-conditioned tents, making the pilgrimage more arduous.
Many unregistered Egyptian pilgrims reported struggling to access hospitals or ambulances for loved ones, resulting in several deaths.
