Some two million Muslim worshipers from around the world are en route to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca, one of Islam's five pillars.
Hajj begins on September 9 this year.
But last year's pilgrimage claimed the lives of hundreds and it's still fresh in people's minds. The kingdom has a lot at stake.
In last year's rituals, a stampede of pilgrims killed more than 2,000 pilgrims, according to a Reuters count, while the kingdom officially registered 769 deaths. The incident came at the heels of construction crane crash that killed more than 100 pilgrims.
So in 2016, the kingdom will step up its Hajj crowd management in six ways.
Every pilgrim will receive a GPS- connected bracelet including personal and medical information. This will help authorities identify people and provide care if needed, while tracking the crowds' flow and being alert to overcrowding, according to The Guardian .
2. Surveillance cameras
The kingdom has upped its surveillance with nearly 1,000 cameras installed at Mecca's Grand Mosque, "Masjid al-Haram" which surrounds the Kaaba. Reuters reports that the cameras are connected to control rooms, where officials will oversee and manage the crowds' movements.
3. Electronic paths and gates
According to Reuters, the Mecca Development Authority has installed "electronic paths and gates to manage crowds heading to Jamarat, the symbolic stoning of the devil where many previous disasters have occurred."
4. Thousands of civil servants, security personnel and medics dispatched
According to Arab News, a 17,000-strong security team with 3,000 modern vehicles has been deployed for the event.
5. Coordination with Hajj missions
The kingdom is centralizing Hajj management by intensifying coordination with Hajj groups from all countries and standardizing schedules for pilgrims to follow.
6. Restricting ritual timings
Officials will tightly control Hajj rituals by restricting the time allotted for each. The kingdom has cut down the period during which pilgrims can perform Jamarat by 12 hours.
According to Arab News, "pilgrims will not be allowed to perform Tawaf Al-Qudum (pilgrim’s circumambulation of the Kaaba before beginning the pilgrimage) close to prayer time". The circumambulation will be prohibited within an hour before and after prayers.