The authority that runs the Grand Mosque in Makkah has widened a package of services for elderly worshippers and those with disabilities, combining on-site facilities with smart technology to help them perform their rites with ease. The General Authority for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque says the effort is built around the human, medical and mobility needs of pilgrims who require extra support.
Dedicated routes and equipment
The authority has set aside suitable gates, elevators and prayer areas, and supplies free electric carts to move pilgrims who cannot manage long distances on foot. Teams of male and female volunteers are assigned to assist with movement and offer guidance directly inside the mosque and its courtyards.
During peak hours, the authority operates dedicated routes to keep these groups safe and moving freely. One prominent path runs from the arrival point at Shib Amer through to Bab Al-Fath, the Gate of Conquest. Along the way, pilgrims find volunteers pushing manual carts, directional signs for people with disabilities, white canes for the blind, sign-language interpreters and a volunteer medical team on call around the clock.
That route connects to the prayer areas of the King Abdullah Expansion, including a women's prayer area at Gate 166 and a men's area at Gate 165, alongside separate routes for the circumambulation, or tawaf, on the first floor and for the sai between Safa and Marwah on the relevant levels. The arrangement is meant to keep people moving, thin out crowding and improve safety and comfort.
Smart guidance and language support
The authority has placed digital screens and interactive maps throughout the mosque and its courtyards to steer elderly and disabled worshippers quickly to the services and routes best suited to them. Electric carts are stationed in the northern plaza, running from the Jarwal tunnel to the King Abdullah Gate, with additional carts reserved for tawaf and sai.
Volunteers and guides fluent in several languages provide on-site escorts, and sign-language interpretation is available for worshippers who are deaf or hard of hearing. The authority says it measures satisfaction through field and online surveys, direct tracking of comments and complaints, and specialised observation teams that assess service quality and response speed.
Mobile barber units ease the final rite
Among the more practical additions are mobile hair-cutting units deployed in the courtyards, which help worshippers complete the tahallul, the shaving or trimming of the hair that marks the exit from the state of ihram. Placing the units within the mosque grounds spares pilgrims a search for a barber outside, a particular relief for the elderly and those with limited mobility. Earlier hair-cutting services at the Grand Mosque have served large numbers of Umrah pilgrims since their introduction.
Guidance for pilgrims and families
Families travelling with elderly or disabled relatives can take several steps to make use of these services. On arrival, look for the dedicated gates and ask volunteers about the nearest electric cart station rather than attempting long walks in the heat. Pilgrims who are blind, deaf or hard of hearing should seek out the marked support routes, where canes, signage and interpreters are provided.
Those who tire easily are advised to use the reserved carts for tawaf and sai, and to rest in the designated prayer areas of the King Abdullah Expansion when crowds are heavy. Because these services align with Saudi Arabia's stated aim of raising the standard of care at the two holy mosques, the authority says it is continuing to expand dedicated pathways, multilingual digital guidance and support for pilgrims with hearing and visual impairments.
Pilgrims are also encouraged to plan visits to the mosque outside the most crowded prayer times where possible, and to keep any required medication and identification with them. Volunteers stationed at the gates can direct worshippers to the nearest medical point, and the round-the-clock teams along the support routes are there to respond quickly to any sign of exhaustion or heat stress, a common risk for older pilgrims during the summer Umrah season.