Saudi authorities are using drones to deliver medical supplies to clinics across the holy sites during Hajj 2026, as temperatures in Makkah climbed to around 45 degrees Celsius this week. The Hajj season this year fell between approximately May 25 and May 30, with the Day of Arafah on Tuesday, May 26 and Eid al-Adha on Wednesday, May 27, marking one of the hottest pilgrimages in recent memory and prompting expanded use of new logistics technology.
How the drone fleet is being used
According to Khaleej Times, drones are now shuttling medical supplies between 127 clinics spread across Makkah, Mina and Arafat. Before the system was introduced, drivers could spend more than an hour ferrying supplies to clinics running low on stock during peak congestion. The aerial deliveries now shorten that journey to a matter of minutes for the highest-priority items requested by ground medical teams.
Cooling crowds on the ground
As reported by The Peninsula, the drone deliveries supplement traditional heat-management measures, including giant fans, trucks distributing free water and fixed mist systems positioned along pedestrian routes near the main ritual areas. Authorities have also deployed more than 111,000 personnel across the holy sites this year to assist arriving pilgrims with water and fans.
AI and aerial monitoring
Per The New Arab, the wider Hajj 2026 operation also leans on artificial intelligence to analyse footage from thousands of cameras around Makkah, helping organisers monitor crowd density and respond to bottlenecks before they escalate into safety incidents during the busiest rituals of the week.
A massive operation
The Saudi General Authority for Statistics put the total number of participants in this year's Hajj at over 1.7 million, according to Turkiye Today. Coverage from Al Jazeera showed worshippers gathered at Mount Arafat under a punishing desert sun. The combination of drone logistics, fixed misting infrastructure and AI-driven crowd analysis marks one of the most technology-intensive pilgrimages on record.
