Monitoring & Analysis | Strategic Media Department – BETH

Riyadh | BETH

At a time when global stability is shifting and crises are intensifying across many regions, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands out as one of the most stable and secure countries for decades.

Security in the Kingdom has never been a temporary condition tied to a specific crisis or period. Rather, it has become a constant feature of daily life in Saudi society, built upon a solid security system, wise crisis management, and mutual trust between the state and society.

Thanks to this system, citizens, residents, and visitors in Saudi Arabia live in an atmosphere of reassurance and stability, where daily life proceeds normally across cities, markets, and roads—even during periods of regional tension or global challenges.

The millions of people gathering at the Two Holy Mosques remain the greatest testimony in the world to Saudi Arabia’s unique ability to manage security and organization in one of the most complex and densely populated environments.

Crowd Management

The World’s Largest Experience

Crowd management at the Two Holy Mosques represents the largest organizational experience in the world. Makkah and Madinah receive millions of pilgrims and Umrah performers every year, in addition to millions of visitors during the Umrah seasons and the month of Ramadan.

Despite this enormous human influx, the Kingdom successfully maintains high levels of security, organization, and smooth movement through an integrated system that combines:

advanced security planning

modern digital technologies

massive infrastructure

thousands of trained personnel

This organization is evident in the details of daily life inside the Two Holy Mosques, from the movement of Tawaf and Sa’i to the management of prayer areas and courtyards, as well as the guidance of crowds during peak times.

Services for the Guests of God

An Integrated Humanitarian System

The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque continues to provide advanced services for the Guests of God through an integrated system that includes:

two main guest care centers

19 subsidiary centers inside the Two Holy Mosques

These centers provide a wide range of organizational and humanitarian services, including:

religious guidance and ritual assistance

answering questions and inquiries

lost-and-found services

assistance for the elderly and people with disabilities

care for lost women and children

luggage storage services

These centers operate around the clock and offer modern communication channels that enable visitors to access services easily, reflecting the high level of care and attention the Kingdom provides to the Guests of God.

Smart Crowd Management

Digital Technologies at the Prophet’s Mosque

As part of efforts to enhance the experience of visitors, authorities have introduced advanced digital services to regulate the movement of worshippers inside the Two Holy Mosques.

Among these services is the Prayer Area Occupancy Status service at the Prophet’s Mosque, which allows visitors to view real-time information about capacity levels in various prayer areas and courtyards.

The system uses four colors to indicate occupancy levels:

Green: Available

Yellow: Nearly full

Red: Full

Gray: Not available

This service helps worshippers select less crowded locations, contributing to smoother movement and supporting crowd management efforts, especially during peak periods.

Saudi Expansions

The Largest Development Project in the History of the Two Holy Mosques

The care for the Two Holy Mosques has been closely linked to the history of the Saudi state since the reign of the founder, King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, who initiated the first restoration and development works at the Grand Mosque after entering Makkah in 1924.

Since then, the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque have witnessed a series of historic expansions carried out by the Kings of Saudi Arabia, including:

the First Saudi Expansion

the Second Saudi Expansion

the Third Saudi Expansion

These expansions increased the prayer capacity of the Grand Mosque to approximately two million worshippers at one time, while the expansions of the Prophet’s Mosque will accommodate nearly 1.8 million worshippers once the current projects are completed.

These massive projects include:

vast prayer courtyards

modern tunnels and corridors

water and electricity stations

movable domes

advanced ventilation systems

They represent one of the largest religious architectural projects in history.

Technology Serving Pilgrims

Electronic Gates at Airports

As part of the Kingdom’s efforts to improve the experience of the Guests of God from the moment they arrive, the General Directorate of Passports has introduced modern technologies at:

King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah

Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah

Among these technologies are electronic gates (E-gates), which allow pilgrims to complete entry and departure procedures independently within seconds by matching biometric data.

This technology contributes to:

reducing waiting times

accelerating travel procedures

enhancing the smooth flow of movement in airports

These measures come as part of the Ministry of Interior’s plans to improve services provided to the Guests of God.

BETH Reading

The Saudi experience in managing security and crowds reveals a unique model that combines security strength, professional administration, and continuous development of infrastructure and services.

The Kingdom does not only manage the largest religious gathering in the world but also maintains high levels of security and organization in an environment that welcomes millions of visitors from different nationalities and cultures.

For this reason, the massive gatherings at the Two Holy Mosques have become one of the most important global testimonies to Saudi Arabia’s ability to combine security stability, administrative efficiency, and humanitarian care.

In a world experiencing increasing turbulence, the Saudi experience stands as a clear example that true security is not measured only by force, but by the ability to organize life and allow it to continue with confidence and reassurance.