Saudi authorities are increasingly relying on drone technology to deliver medicines and medical supplies to clinics serving Hajj pilgrims, as temperatures in and around Mecca climbed to 45°C this week during one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings.
The move reflects the kingdom’s broader push to integrate advanced technologies into the management of Hajj, where more than 1.5 million pilgrims are taking part this year amid extreme desert heat and heavy congestion across the holy sites.
Officials say unmanned aerial vehicles have become a crucial tool in ensuring rapid medical support for clinics operating in Mecca, Mina, and Arafat, especially in areas where road traffic can delay urgent deliveries for hours.
According to Saudi officials, the drone system allows medical teams to bypass crowded roads and quickly replenish supplies at 127 clinics spread across the pilgrimage zones.
Fahd Al-Bathi, chief operating officer of the National Unified Procurement Company (Nupco), said the technology was introduced to accelerate assistance for pilgrims during the Hajj season and improve emergency response capabilities.
Before the deployment of drones, medical deliveries often depended on conventional transport, with drivers sometimes spending more than an hour navigating through dense traffic to reach clinics facing shortages.
Authorities have now centralized medical logistics operations in a major distribution hub from which drones are dispatched carrying medicines, emergency supplies, and other healthcare essentials directly to medical centers near pilgrimage routes.
Saudi teams monitoring the operations from a dedicated command center track drone flights through live digital systems, while other personnel use electric scooters and smart mobility tools to move more efficiently across the sites.
The medical drone network forms part of a wider technological transformation underway during Hajj, as Saudi Arabia expands its use of artificial intelligence, surveillance systems, and mobile applications to improve crowd management and public safety.
Saudi authorities are also using AI-powered systems to analyze live footage from thousands of cameras positioned across Mecca and surrounding holy sites in an effort to monitor movement and respond rapidly to emergencies.
The increased focus on technology comes as Saudi Arabia faces mounting challenges linked to extreme temperatures during Hajj, which in recent years has coincided with the peak summer season.
Health officials have identified heat exhaustion and dehydration as among the main risks confronting pilgrims, prompting authorities to introduce additional cooling measures alongside the new digital systems.
Large fans, water distribution trucks, shaded areas, and misting systems have been deployed throughout crowded zones to help reduce heat exposure for pilgrims performing outdoor rituals under direct sunlight.
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in modernizing Hajj infrastructure in recent years, seeking to combine centuries-old religious traditions with new technologies aimed at improving safety, logistics, and healthcare services for millions of worshippers arriving from around the world.
The growing use of drones during Hajj also highlights how Gulf countries are increasingly integrating unmanned technologies into civilian operations, particularly in sectors linked to healthcare, logistics, and large-scale event management.
