Saudi Arabia turns to drones to shield pilgrims from extreme heat

With temperatures reaching 45 degrees centigrade in Makkah during the current week, the staff of Saudi Arabia have become dependent on the use of drones in order to deliver various medical supplies to many clinics catering to the needs of overheated pilgrims during the Haj.

Rituals of Hajj have remained unchanged since centuries past.

However, technology is bringing about a revolution in the pilgrimage and offering a whole range of services by means of using artificial intelligence, drones, and mobile applications.

Instead of moving through congested streets packed with over 1.5 million pilgrims, the most effective method of transporting medical supplies is by way of drones, which helps keep 127 clinics distributed between Makkah, Mina, and Arafat properly supplied.

"The aim here is to give fast service to the guests of God," Fahd Al-Bathi, the Chief Operating Officer of the National Unified Procurement Company (NUPCO) said while talking to AFP.

Preparations for the medical requirements of Haj pilgrimage began nine months ago.

Turki Al-Obaidi, an Operations Officer at NUPCO, was addressing the gathering in front of a color coded map depicting medical clinics distributed in that area.

“Our teams must ensure we reach patients as quickly as possible. This is a crucial factor with these extremely large crowds,” he added.

Before the adoption of drones, drivers could spend over an hour en route to clinics running low on supplies.

Now, authorities have centralised operations around a sprawling centre that supplies drones with medications and other necessities.

“We are seeking to integrate new innovations through which we can ensure that medical supplies arrive safely, as quickly as possible, and with the highest quality,” said Bathi.

In the operations room — equipped with a giant data screen — staff carefully track drone deliveries, while other employees use electric scooters to get around faster.

Drones are part of a growing arsenal of technology-led solutions aiming to better manage the Haj and the challenges presented by the searing desert climate.

Artificial intelligence has been deployed to help monitor the footage from thousands of cameras in and around the holy city of Makkah.

The new solutions help supplement more traditional methods to manage the heat, which include giant fans, trucks distributing free water and mist systems that help cool crowds.

“Heat exhaustion is one of the main issues” during the Haj, said Saudi health official Jamil Abu Al-Aynayn.

“We maintain a high and rapid level of readiness.”