Saudi Gazette report

MINA — On behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Mina on Thursday to supervise the services and facilities provided to pilgrims during the peak of the Hajj season.

Nearly two million pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat, marking the spiritual pinnacle of the five-day pilgrimage.

Dressed in seamless white garments symbolizing unity and humility, pilgrims gathered at dawn after spending the night in the tent city of Mina for reflection and prayer.

The pilgrims will spend the day in prayer on the plains of Arafat before heading to Muzdalifah and returning to Mina for the symbolic stoning of the devil, followed by the Eid al-Adha animal sacrifice, marking the culmination of Hajj.

Saudi Arabia has deployed tens of thousands of workers, security forces, medical staff, and volunteers to ensure a smooth and safe pilgrimage. Extensive services — from transportation and healthcare to crowd management and digital support — are in place across the holy sites to support the mass movement of pilgrims and safeguard their well-being.

Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims who are physically and financially able to perform it at least once in their lives.

The journey commemorates the trials of Prophet Abraham and embodies key tenets of the Islamic faith, including devotion, equality, and sacrifice.