Muscat: Ali Shihabi, an expert on Middle Eastern politics and economics with a deep focus on Saudi Arabia, offered a candid insight into the lesser-known realities of organizing the annual Hajj pilgrimage. “People think Hajj is a big money maker and that it’s just a gold mine,” Shihabi said. “But they don’t realize how much the Kingdom has spent and is spending.”
He highlighted the existence of a dedicated Ministry solely responsible for managing Hajj and Umrah, underscoring the scale and complexity of the operation. “Hajj is not only one of the biggest assemblies of people on earth, but more importantly, it’s an assembly of people from totally different cultures—many of whom come from very underdeveloped countries where they haven’t learned things like hygiene,” he said. “The management challenge is enormous… and the fact that you’ve had very few accidents is a testament to the Kingdom’s efforts, but nobody gave the Kingdom credit.”
According to Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, this year’s Hajj achieved unprecedented levels of integration and efficiency. Among the key accomplishments was the launch of the Hajj Transport Center, which served as the central hub for travel across Makkah and other holy sites.
Read More
- Trump says he is ‘losing faith’ in Iran as nuclear talks continue
- Heavy rain batters India’s Kerala, killing at least four
- Keralam: Pathanamthitta gets 300 mm+ rainfall in 2 hours, administration on alert
- Macron thanks Australia, Lithuania for aid in combating wildfire in France
- Kuwait intercepts drones as IRGC claims strike on US base
The Kingdom also reported a 75% increase in electric power capacity in these sites, with infrastructure investments exceeding SR3 billion ($800 million). Logistically, Saudi Arabia received over 7,000 flights from 238 international destinations, operated 4,700 Haramain High-Speed Railway trips, and ran 2,500 shuttle bus journeys using a fleet of over 20,000 buses.
Healthcare capabilities were also significantly ramped up. Hospital bed capacity increased by more than 60%, a new emergency hospital was inaugurated, and 71 rapid response units were deployed—tripling emergency readiness compared to previous years.
As the world watches the spiritual journey of millions unfold each year, voices like Shihabi’s are calling for a deeper appreciation of the immense human, financial, and logistical investment that makes it all possible—beyond the numbers and far from the profit margins.
