ICT System for Crowd Management: Hajj as a Case Study

Hajj is known as one of the largest and oldest annual mass gatherings in the world. For Muslims, Hajj is one of the five pillars in Islam. Early in Hajj month, Muslims start coming and gathering in Mecca preparing for this great event. The month of Hajj represents the 12th month of the Islamic lunar year (Hijri) and is called 'Thul-Hijjah'. Hajj consists of a number of rituals that take place from the 8th to the 12th day of 'Thul-Hijjah'. Pilgrims gathering in one place with limited geographical area perform the religious ritual during which there is a high risk of creating a series of logistical issues and occurrences such as stampedes, getting lost from friends and family, and loss of lives. Effective management of the Hajj gathering remains a yearly challenge because of the intensity of the crowds. Indeed, the use of technology could well lead to better management of Hajj. The main objective of this study is to contribute to improving crowd management in the locations of Hajj rituals by developing an application for Hajj crowd management that can be used by Hajj travel agencies, to assist and manage pilgrims at Hajj locations.