Hajj Transport Simulation Tests System for 1.2 Million Virtual Pilgrims

The General Transport Center – one of the centers of the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites – conducted, in coordination with more than 24 government and operational entities, a virtual simulation of the transport system in the Holy Sites as part of preparations for the Hajj season 1447 AH, aiming to test operational efficiency and enhance coordination among the relevant entities.

 The exercise was carried out through an operational model simulating pilgrims’ movement between Makkah and the Holy Sites, using 3,000 buses across five main operational phases covering all stages of transport, and through 15 primary routes, enabling the testing of crowd flow and traffic management efficiency at various stages.

 The simulation aimed to model the transport of more than 1.2 million virtual pilgrims through over 75,000 planned trips, with the participation of more than 20,500 operational personnel and 74 transport companies, reflecting the scale and complexity of the transport system during the Hajj season.

 It also included field implementation of the various operational phases, starting with preparation and readiness, followed by the movement to Arafat, then the transfer to Muzdalifah, and concluding with the departure to Mina, ensuring the system’s readiness is tested under varied operational conditions.

 The exercise reflects the level of coordination among participating entities and supports the development of a transport system capable of accommodating high crowd densities during the Hajj season, through a methodology based on pre-testing, performance measurement, and the enhancement of operational procedures, contributing to an organized mobility experience for pilgrims.