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Africa: Muslim Faithful Leave Mecca After Hajj
Saudi authorities said more than 83,000 people received emergency services as pilgrims finished outdoor rites in scorching heat.
On Friday, thousands of Muslims began leaving Mecca after completing the Hajj pilgrimage, which drew more than 1.7 million participants from 165 countries amid scorching heat and Middle East instability.
Iran's state news agency IRNA explained that the 'wartime situation' caused a decline in Iranian participation, with only 30,000 Iranians traveling to Mecca versus 86,000 originally expected.
Following the 2024 pilgrimage when temperatures above 50C killed over 1,300 people, Saudi authorities implemented heat-mitigation measures; the Saudi Red Crescent served more than 83,000 people this season.
Pilgrims concluded the Hajj by performing the stoning ritual in Mina and the farewell Tawaf at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, walking seven times around the Kaaba, Islam's focal point.
Egyptian pilgrim Ahmed Mamdouh, 37, expressed joy at completing his first Hajj, while 74-year-old Algerian Al-Zaoui celebrated fulfilling a lifelong dream with his wife after 50 years of marriage.
Despite the war launched on 28 February by the United States and Israel against Iran, more than 1.7 million faithful from 165 countries participated this year in the Hajj, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.