Saudis Use AI, Drones, and Thousands of Cameras to Keep Hajj Pilgrims Safe

Tech Can Spot Abnormal Crowd Movements, Predict Bottlenecks to Prevent Stampedes

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MECCA, Saudi Arabia — Working day and night in front of maps, screens, and seemingly endless data, Saudi officials have harnessed artificial intelligence (AI) to help manage the million-strong sea of pilgrims during the Hajj.

The technology has proven pivotal in tracking the overwhelming amount of footage from more than 15,000 cameras in and around the holy city of Mecca.

The systems are tuned to spot abnormal crowd movements or predict bottlenecks in foot traffic — a potential lifesaver at a packed event with a history of deadly stampedes.

Software is also used to help guide more than 20,000 buses deployed to transport pilgrims between holy sites during one of the world's biggest annual religious gatherings.

It is all part of the tech arsenal that Saudi Arabia is deploying as 1.4 million faithful from across the globe descend on Mecca and its surrounds.

In the traffic control room, "we use specialized cameras that have AI layers to analyze movements (and) crowded areas," and predict behaviors, said Mr. Mohamed Nazier, chief executive for the General Transport Centre at the Royal Commission for Mecca.