- The third pre-Hajj simulation exercise took place on June 6, 2024, in Makkah.
- Over 1.4 million pilgrims were involved in the exercise, with more than 65,000 different trips being organized for their transportation.
- The purpose of the exercise was to ensure the highest level of field readiness at the holy sites and evaluate the operational and planning capacities of participating organizations.
The 6th of June, 2024, Makkah The Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, noticed the beginning of the third pre-Hajj simulation exercise. This exercise would involve the transportation of more than 1.4 million pilgrims from inside the Kingdom as well as from outside the Kingdom through more than 65,000 different trips. The Ministry of Haj and Umrah organized the exercise, involving over forty ministries and allied entities. The simulation encompassed more than 95 percent of the actual pilgrims' tent sites, in addition to more than 100 specifically targeted operating stations. The purpose of the exercise is to achieve the highest possible level of field readiness at the holy sites. It is part of the ministry's preparations for the Hajj season, which will begin in 1445 AH.
We undertook this endeavor to ensure the efficiency of the technical systems and their integration with the infrastructure supporting transportation and movement operations. The exercise evaluated the operational and planning capacities of participating organizations, with the objective of enhancing the competence of relevant individuals. We carried out five targeted transportation operations across fourteen main movement routes, involving nearly eight thousand buses from sixty-three different transportation providers. The Hajj involved over twenty thousand individuals, and the security and regulatory authorities participating in the pilgrimage coordinated the exercise. To increase readiness for Hajj pilgrim service, the ministry conducted a series of five simulation exercises at set times. This particular exercise was the third of the five.
