About 1.4 million faithful from across the globe will descend on Mecca and its surrounds for the 2025 haj pilgrimage. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

During the holy month of Ramadan this year, the system spotted when the Grand Mosque had reached full capacity.

Working day and night in front of maps, screens and seemingly endless data, Saudi officials have harnessed artificial intelligence to help manage the million-strong sea of pilgrims during the hajj.

The centre has a main control room in Makkah filled with screens and maps, where staff use high-tech ... "The flow to the Haram (Grand Mosque) was stopped and the process controlled," he said.

Mecca (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) – Working day and night in front of maps, screens and seemingly endless ... "The flow to the Haram (Grand Mosque) was stopped and the process controlled," he said.

The scene in Jeddah is both surreal and sacred. Under the shade of the Western Hajj Terminal's canopies at King Abdulaziz ...