Hajj 2025 To Be The Last Summer Pilgrimage Until 2042 (image:pixabay)

The 2025 Hajj will be the last pilgrimage to be performed in the intense heat of summer for the next 16 years. The Saudi National Meteorological Centre has announced this week that the upcoming Hajj season in 2025 would be the last to take place in summer. From 2026, the annual Islamic pilgrimage will shift to cooler seasons.

First, it will step into spring and eventually into winter due to the Islamic lunar calendar’s gradual drift. In recent years, the pilgrims had faced temperatures which had soared to between 46 degrees Celsius and 51 degrees Celsius. According to Gulf News, the unbearable heat had resulted in more than 2,760 reported cases of heatstroke in a single day, along with multiple heat-related deaths.

Read also: Saudi Arabia To Settle Syria’s Debts To World Bank

From 2026 to 2033, Hajj will fall during the spring months, before entering a prolonged winter cycle lasting through 2041. It will be only in 2042 the pilgrimage would enter the summer season, which would be the beginning of a new nine-year stretch of warmer weather rituals.

However, the Saudi authorities, foreseeing the risk posed due to heat, have stepped up efforts to safeguard the pilgrims. The measures included the installation of expansive shaded areas, an increase in water stations, the deployment of mobile units, and public heat-awareness campaigns. They have also established shaded walkways, additional water distribution points, and mobile cooling units.

Read also: Abu Dhabi Scraps Minimum Speed Limit On Sheikh Muhammed Bin Rashid Road

In 2024, the Kingdom introduced 33 new weather monitoring stations and expanded the use of mobile radars to enhance real-time climate tracking across Hajj zones. This year, the authorities have stated that more than 1.8 million pilgrims are expected, and thus they are preparing once more for the final summer challenge.