(3 Jun 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mecca, Saudi Arabia – 2 June 2025
1. Various of grand mosque during prayer
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Belhajj Beafo, Algerian pilgrim:
++STARTS IN PREVIOUS SHOT, PARTIALLY OVERLAID BY SHOT 3++
"This is my first time performing Hajj. May God enable me, God willing. God willing, God willing, God willing, God will write it for me. The rituals have been completed and we hope that Hajj will be performed by everyone who wishes for it, God willing."
3. Various of pilgrims praying
++NIGHT SHOTS++
4. People walking out of grand mosque after prayer
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Layla Saad, Egyptian pilgrim:
++STARTS IN SHOT 3++
"My first prayer, God willing, will be for the people of Gaza and the people of Sudan. God willing, our Lord will spare the bloodshed of all Arab countries. Amen, O Lord of the Mighty Throne."
6. Low shot of people walking out of grand mosque
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fahad bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel, Saudi Arabian Health Minister:
++SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY OVERLAID BY SHOTS 8-12++
"Environmental risks this year include heat strokes, sunstroke, and the potential for rainfall. We are working with our partners in various government sectors to develop many solutions, including shading pedestrian areas, increasing tree planting, increasing sprinklers, and deterrents. For example, the Royal Commission for Makkah and the Holy Sites has planted 10,000 trees to improve the environment, reduce heat, and provide shade."
8. People walking out of grand mosque after prayer
9. Health ministry warehouse
10. Various of health ministry preparation of vehicles for Hajj
11. Drones used to deliver medicine to hospitals, in warehouse
12. Pilgrims on their way to prayer
13. Mecca clock tower
STORYLINE:
The Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for Muslims who are physically and financially able to perform it. It’s a deeply spiritual journey — one that pilgrims dream of for years — but it is also physically demanding and emotionally intense.
Pilgrims carry out the five-day ritual outdoors, often under searing heat, among massive crowds.
Many walk over 25 kilometers (15 miles) in a single day, navigating unfamiliar languages, routines, and environments.
There is little privacy, and personal space is rare. Despite the physical strain, for many, the experience is life-changing.
Among the crowd this year is Belhajj Beafo, a pilgrim from Algeria.
“This is my first time performing Hajj,” he said, eyes filled with emotion. “May God enable me, God willing… The rituals have been completed, and we hope that Hajj will be performed by everyone who wishes for it.”
For Layla Saad, a pilgrim from Egypt, the journey is both spiritual and deeply personal.
“My first prayer, God willing, will be for the people of Gaza and the people of Sudan,” she said. “God willing, our Lord will spare the bloodshed of all Arab countries.”
Describing the moment she arrived at the Grand Mosque, she added, “What an indescribable feeling… it’s something beautiful, very, very beautiful. You wish it had come when you were younger — but thank God it has come.”
To support the millions of pilgrims arriving this year, Saudi Arabia has expanded its health and emergency services.
Fahad bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel, the Kingdom’s health minister, said authorities are anticipating multiple environmental risks, including heatstroke, sunstroke, and possible rainfall.
“The Royal Commission for Makkah and the Holy Sites has planted 10,000 trees to improve the environment, reduce heat, and provide shade.”
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