The hajj, usually one of the world's largest annual religious gatherings, is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means at least once in their lives.
In 2019, some 2.5 million Muslims from around the world participated in the hajj which poses a considerable security challenge and has seen several disasters over the years, including a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300 people.
The rituals are being performed under strict security measures that include police check-points in parts of Mecca. In 1979, gunmen barricaded themselves inside the Grand Mosque in an assault that left 153 dead, according to the official toll.
The Commander of the Air Force Group participating in this hajj season, Colonel Pilot Khaled bin Abdullah Al-Mutairi, told state media Wednesday that military helicopters will be used "around the clock... to support the public security".
Overseas pilgrims, who were banned from the hajj in 2020 and 2021 to prevent Covid infections, are back to the mountainous region this year to fill its hotel rooms and visit its shops as business owners hope to recover huge losses.
Since the start of the pandemic, Saudi Arabia has registered more than 795,000 coronavirus cases, more than 9,000 of them fatal. Some 67 million vaccine doses have been administered in the country of over 34 million people.
The hajj ministry has said it is working on the highest levels of health precautions in light of the pandemic and the emergence of new variants. However, a requirement to wear masks has been largely ignored.
