Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said strict enforcement of Hajj regulations, pilgrims’ compliance with movement schedules and efficient crowd management, carried out with the Presidency of State Security and other authorities, had enabled worshippers to perform the rituals safely, smoothly and with peace of mind. Brigadier General Talal bin Abdulmohsen bin Shalhoub, the ministry’s security spokesman, said managing and organizing Hajj reflected Saudi excellence, delivered by national hands under a leadership that has placed service to the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors at the top of its priorities and mobilized all capabilities to that end. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Brig. Gen. bin Shalhoub said crowd management had become “a Saudi industry” built on advanced planning, field execution, and constant monitoring, with immediate intervention to handle crowd density in Makkah and the holy sites, ensuring smooth movement and pilgrim safety. He said advance planning rested on proactive strategies that deploy smart technologies and highly qualified personnel, in full coordination with all government agencies involved in the Hajj operation. The Hajj system, he said, operates through integration and advanced planning, with support and guidance from the country’s leadership and direct follow-up by Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee. The season is managed through precise plans designed to achieve the highest levels of security and safety for pilgrims. Brig. Gen. bin Shalhoub said the work of the Hajj Security Forces was not confined to Makkah and the entrances to the holy sites, but also covered full supervision of the “No Hajj Without a Permit” campaign. He said the campaign’s field track was carried out with high efficiency, alongside an intensive media effort involving all government agencies, foremost the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Communications, Space and Technology Commission, through awareness messages in multiple languages and formats. The goal, he said, was clear: to allow pilgrims to perform their rituals in full security and safety and to ensure that no one violates Hajj security instructions. Security efforts to organize and protect pilgrims, alongside humanitarian efforts assisting the Guests of God in performing the stoning ritual at the Jamarat (Photo: Ali Khumaj) Speaking at a press briefing at the Hajj Media Forum in Makkah on Wednesday, the Interior Ministry’s security spokesman said the Hajj Security Forces, in coordination with all participating authorities, were continuing to organize the rituals during the days of Tashreeq and to enforce Hajj regulations and instructions until the end of the season. He said field security and traffic plans had enabled pilgrims to move to Arafat early, depart for Muzdalifah smoothly and easily, and return to Mina safely and securely, with movement flowing without disruption. He thanked security personnel across all sectors, including the military, as well as all those serving the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors. He said the Hajj Security Forces, working in coordination with all authorities involved in the season, would continue organizing the rituals during the days of Tashreeq and enforcing Hajj regulations and instructions until the end of Hajj.
