Million gather in Makkah as hajj begins

More than a million pilgrims participated in Islam's most important rite under a scorching sun yesterday as the hajj pilgrimage began.

With temperatures expected to top 40 degrees Celsius, pilgrims slowly circled the Kaaba -- the black cube at the heart of Makkah's Grand Mosque which is Islam's holiest site.

State media reported that others had begun arriving in the sprawling tent city of Mina on Makkah's outskirts where they will stay overnight before the hajj's high-point today -- prayers on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) is believed to have delivered his final sermon.

About 1.4 million pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of the hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam that must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means.

Yesterday, pilgrims performed the tawaf -- walking seven times around the Kaaba, which Muslims pray towards each day.

Pilgrims arriving on buses had begun already trickling into Mina on Tuesday afternoon, greeted by staff offering them coffee and dates.

"I am so happy, it's such an amazing feeling," said Reem al-Shogre, a 35-year-old Saudi performing the pilgrimage for the first time.

Following last year's lethal heatwave, authorities have mobilised more than 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials to improve protection.

Shaded areas have been enlarged by 50,000 square metres (12 acres), thousands of additional medics will be on standby and more than 400 cooling units will be deployed, Hajj Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah told AFP last week.

Artificial intelligence technology will help process the deluge of data, including video from a new fleet of drones, to better manage the massive crowds.