RIYADH: Five Saudi ministries jointly announced on Wednesday the country is ready to host this year’s Hajj, in which 1.5 million pilgrims from around the world are expected to attend and perform the sacred rituals obligatory for all able Muslims.

The Kingdom has completed extensive preparations that include artificial intelligence technologies, full 5G coverage and more than 52,000 health practitioners ready to provide treatment.

Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari confirmed on Wednesday at a government press conference held in Riyadh that the Hajj system is managed with precise plans that rely on analyzing movement and density through modern technologies enhanced with AI.

He also noted that the Kingdom now has 5G network coverage across the entirety of the holy sites.

Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser explained that more than 1.5 million pilgrims from outside the Kingdom are expected to attend in total, with more than 3 million seats provided through six airports connecting Saudi Arabia to more than 300 airports worldwide via more than 104 air carriers.

Al-Dosari explained that the Ministry of Islamic Affairs has prepared more than 20,000 mosques and provided over two million copies of the Qur’an as a gift from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

He highlighted the Makkah Route initiative which is in its eighth year and allows pilgrims to go through visa checks in their airport of departure in 16 countries.

Al-Dosari said that more than 1.2 million pilgrims have benefited from the program since its launch.

He also reported that the Ministry of Commerce has carried out more than 33,000 inspection tours, that temporary lodging licenses have been approved, and that more than 2.3 million beds have been provided in Makkah and Madinah.

Al-Dosari concluded by stating that more than 150 media outlets and 3,000 journalists are covering this year’s Hajj.

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah confirmed that the Saudi leadership prioritizes serving pilgrims and mobilizes all resources to facilitate their journey, noting that more than 860,000 pilgrims have arrived so far.

In addition, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs is preparing to host more than 2,500 pilgrims, including families of martyrs, scholars and Islamic figures from more than 100 countries.

He explained that direct booking without intermediaries has been made available to more than 30 Saudi companies from 126 countries, with integrated coordination among more than 60 government and operational entities through more than 600 action plans.

Al-Rabiah said that the Nusuk identification card has been delivered to all arriving pilgrims and that the Hajj Without a Baggage initiative has been expanded to include all international pilgrims.

The initiative allows travelers to drop off their baggage at a point at their departure airport, from where it will be transported directly to their accommodation in Makkah.

The Nusuk app now serves more than 51 million users worldwide, he added.

Al-Rabiah revealed that the Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites has implemented more than 25 development projects, a 100 percent increase compared to last year.

He added that more than 60,000 trees have been planted under the Green Holy Sites initiative, and a cooling system with more than 6,000 misting columns has been activated.

Al-Rabiah said that pilgrim movement plans are being executed according to precise scheduling, that a guidance system using 3D maps and multilingual screens has been activated, and that the Arafat sermon has been translated into 50 languages.

He confirmed that the No Hajj Without a Permit campaign has increased compliance levels, and that satisfaction rates reached 91 percent last year as measured by the Ada’a performance center.

Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel confirmed that the Hajj season has become an internationally advanced model for humanitarian care.

He explained that more than 20,000 hospital beds have been allocated, including 3,800 in the holy sites along with 25 urgent care centers.

He pointed out that the ambulance fleet includes more than 3,000 vehicles and 11 air ambulances, supported by 7,700 paramedics and more than 52,000 health practitioners.

Al-Jalajel revealed the Kingdom’s global leadership in crowd medicine, noting the expansion of virtual healthcare through the Seha Virtual Hospital, the use of drones to transport medications and medical samples, and the use of smartwatches to remotely monitor pilgrims’ health conditions.

Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majed Al-Hogail confirmed the implementation of an advanced infrastructure network between the holy sites covering an area of 4.6 million square meters, and the deployment of more than 88,000 sanitation units operating around the clock.

He explained that 2,800 daily inspection tours are conducted on food, water, and facilities in the holy sites, supported by 66 service centers and five laboratories.

The minister added that a digital operational system has been launched, receiving 29,000 reports, with an average response time of one minute and 13 seconds.

Al-Hogail noted that the vacant property fee regulations aim to mitigate the risk of price increases in the residential and commercial sectors within cities.

He stated that the policy will only be activated when needed, based on indicators issued by the Real Estate General Authority, with a one-year implementation period to assess challenges before fully activating regulatory tools.

Al-Jasser added that maintenance plans have been carried out on more than 6,000 kilometers of holy site road networks, that 3,000 buses have been deployed to transport pilgrims from their residences to the Grand Mosque, and that 5,000 buses are operating for shuttle services.

He concluded by stating that the Holy Sites Train operates at a capacity of up to 72,000 passengers per hour.