Hajj 2024: Saudi Arabia Bans Gas Cylinders At Hajj Locations

The Saudi Arabian authorities ban the use of gas cylinders as a safety measure.

The Saudi Kingdom is all ready to host the largest gathering in the country. As a part of safety measures, the civil defense authorities have stated no Hajj camp shall have any type of gas cylinders. This rule will be enforced from today (Friday).

As per the General Directorate of Civil Defence, the ban applies to liquified gas cylinders of any type and size.

Following are the areas that are restricted from having gas cylinders:

1. Pilgrim Camps
2. Premises of Government agencies
3. Premises of Private Sector agencies

The reason for implementing this ban is to prevent any major fire incident during the annual pilgrimage which can lead to many casualties. The Hajj 1445 will start on June 14, while the Day of Arafat is on June 15, Saturday.

Saudi Arabia will witness a record-breaking number of Hajj pilgrims this year. Reports indicate that around 2 million Muslims will perform this obligatory duty at the holy site this year.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj Tawfiq Al Rabiah informed on Thursday that the count of overseas Hajj pilgrims who have reached the kingdom so far is 1.2 million. The Ministry further focused on the importance of following the rules and regulations during the Hajj rituals. The ministry requested the pilgrims to cooperate with agencies for a seamless Hajj experience.

Different thermal cameras have also been installed in the Holy Mosques of Mecca and Medina that will help to calculate the number of pilgrims. This was also confirmed by the ministry official at a press conference.

Around 1.8 million pilgrims attended the Hajj in the year 2023. Realizing the need for urgent preparations for Hajj 2024, the Saudi authorities immediately started the preparations after the Hajj 2023 concluded.