Haramain authority urges pilgrims to plan Umrah during off-peak hours

The General Authority for the Care of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has called on Umrah pilgrims to plan their pilgrimage in advance, familiarize themselves with peak crowd times at the Grand Mosque, and select suitable periods to perform rituals with greater ease, helping to ensure smooth movement in the tawaf and sa’i areas.

In its awareness guide, the authority explained that the period from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., as well as from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., sees light crowds of pilgrims. Moderate crowds are observed between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., while peak congestion occurs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Digital services and guidance for pilgrims

The authority noted that providing information on crowd levels is part of its efforts to help visitors to the Grand Mosque organize their schedules before heading for Umrah and benefit from less crowded periods, thereby enhancing comfort, safety, and improving the overall experience from arrival to completion of rituals.

The authority added that advance planning and choosing the right time for Umrah improves the flow of pilgrims inside the Grand Mosque. It urged visitors to monitor crowd density indicators and make use of available digital services to check the status of the tawaf and sa’i areas.

In this context, the authority offers a digital service on its website to check crowd levels in the tawaf and sa’i areas, including the main courtyard and its various floors, as well as the different levels of the sa’i area. This enables pilgrims to review crowd conditions and benefit from this information before and during their visit to the Grand Mosque.

These services complement a suite of digital solutions for pilgrims, including the "Nusuk" app, which helps users plan and manage their Umrah journey, along with guidance and informational services that enrich the experience of visitors.

Improving service quality and crowd management

Raising awareness about crowd times helps optimize the use of facilities and spaces inside the Grand Mosque, distributes pilgrim movement throughout the day, and supports organizational and operational efforts to serve visitors to the holy site. This also enhances the quality of services provided, allowing worshippers to perform their rituals in a secure and tranquil environment.