As the 1448 Umrah season opens through the peak of the Saudi summer, authorities are leaning heavily on an extensive cooling network to protect worshippers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. With Umrah arrivals up sharply this year, the systems that keep the Haram and surrounding sites cool have become a frontline health measure.
The centrepiece is one of the world's largest cooling installations, which keeps temperatures inside the Grand Mosque between 22 and 24 degrees Celsius even as outdoor readings soar. The system serves prayer areas, service facilities and the courtyards used by millions of Umrah pilgrims.
Inside the world's largest cooling system
The Grand Mosque's integrated cooling system runs at a capacity of roughly 155,000 refrigeration tons, circulating chilled air across the vast prayer spaces. Beyond cooling, it treats and purifies the air with an efficiency rate reported at up to 95 percent, using advanced filtration and air-handling technology to reduce airborne contaminants in one of the most densely occupied buildings on earth.
The scale of the system reflects the challenge of managing a site where hundreds of thousands of people gather for a single prayer. Maintaining a stable indoor climate helps prevent heat exhaustion and heatstroke, which remain among the most common medical risks for pilgrims during the summer months.
Cooling beyond the mosque walls
The measures extend well beyond the Haram itself. Across the holy sites, authorities have installed more than 400 misting and cooling stations in Mina, Arafat and around the Grand Mosque, spraying fine water vapour to lower the ambient temperature for pilgrims moving between locations.
Engineers have also rolled out heat-reflective "white roads," surfaces coated with a special material that can reduce ground temperatures by up to 20 degrees Celsius. By cutting the heat radiating up from paved routes, the coating eases conditions for pilgrims walking to and from the mosque during the hottest parts of the day.
These interventions form part of a broader strategy to make the pilgrimage safer as the region contends with rising temperatures. The measures matter especially now, with the Kingdom recording a 22.5 percent rise in Umrah arrivals at the start of the 1448 season, bringing large numbers of worshippers to Makkah during the hottest stretch of the year.
Saudi authorities have paired the physical infrastructure with public-awareness campaigns urging pilgrims to avoid direct sun during midday and to carry umbrellas. Medical teams and mobile clinics are positioned around the Haram to treat heat-related cases quickly, and volunteers distribute water and cooling aids at busy entry points. The combined approach reflects lessons drawn from previous seasons, when heat was linked to a significant share of pilgrim illness.
The cooling effort also connects to a longer-term shift. Because the Islamic lunar calendar moves Hajj earlier each year, the pilgrimage is gradually leaving the summer months and will fall in cooler seasons for the coming years. Umrah, however, continues year-round, meaning the Grand Mosque's climate systems must handle intense summer crowds regardless of when Hajj falls.
Practical heat-safety tips for pilgrims
Even with extensive cooling, pilgrims performing Umrah in summer should take personal precautions. The single most important step is staying hydrated: drink water regularly rather than waiting until thirsty, and make use of the Zamzam water stations throughout the mosque.
Pilgrims are advised to schedule Tawaf and Sa'i for cooler hours where possible, such as after the Fajr or Isha prayers, and to avoid the open marble courtyards during midday when surfaces heat rapidly. Carrying a small umbrella for shade, wearing light footwear that can be removed at the mosque, and resting in the air-conditioned interior between rituals all reduce heat strain.
Those who are elderly, pregnant, or managing chronic conditions should pace themselves, avoid crowded peak times, and seek help at the clearly marked medical points at the first sign of dizziness, cramps or nausea. Recognising the early symptoms of heat exhaustion, and acting on them quickly, is the best protection the cooling network cannot provide on its own.