The spiritual climax of the pilgrimage took place at Mount Arafat, where worshippers dressed in white robes stood side by side in prayer and reflection on the rocky hill and surrounding plain. In Islamic tradition, the site is believed to be where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon.

As temperatures rose across the holy sites, Saudi authorities deployed extensive security, medical and emergency services to manage the crowds and protect pilgrims during the gathering.

In Mecca, worshippers also filled the Grand Mosque to perform the Tawaf ritual, circling the Kaaba seven times in a counterclockwise direction as part of the pilgrimage rites. Aerial images showed dense flows of pilgrims moving continuously around Islam’s holiest site inside the vast mosque complex.

Saudi Arabia has invested billions of euros in recent years to expand transport networks, cooling systems and crowd management infrastructure in order to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims attending the Hajj each year.

The pilgrimage will conclude with celebrations marking Eid al-Adha and the symbolic stoning ritual in Mina, commemorating Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God.