https://arab.news/nbchr
- The SRCA鈥檚 logistical symphony spans 578 ambulances, nine helicopter surveillance teams and 80 rapid-response vehicles
ARAFAT: Beneath Makkah鈥檚 unrelenting sun, the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, or SRCA, and university volunteers have engineered a sanctuary of safety for Hajj 2025.
From SRCA鈥檚 7,517 paramedics to Umm Al-Qura University鈥檚 medical students, this human tapestry works in lockstep across Islam鈥檚 holiest sites.
The SRCA鈥檚 logistical symphony spans 578 ambulances, nine helicopter surveillance teams and 80 rapid-response vehicles threading through human currents.
Mobility support includes 500 electric scooters and 205 golf carts pre-positioned at ritual grounds, while 633 logistics specialists orchestrate medical supply chains.
Fourteen emergency clinics and 32 first-aid stations anchor operations, with nine ambulance buses drilled for mass casualties.
Volunteers confront predictable yet constant health threats. Kholood Abdulwasea, an SRCA volunteer who traveled from Madinah to serve in Makkah, reported: 鈥淭he cases we face, mostly they were having heat exhaustion. Some of them had hypoglycemia.鈥� She credited mitigation efforts: 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 much because of the water sprays and the efforts put into providing water.鈥�
Medical students corroborated this clinical landscape. Rawabi Omar Al-Arabi, a fifth-year Umm Al-Qura University medical student leading the Systematic Hajj Program, cited heatstroke, dehydration and hypoglycemia as predominant issues.
Jannah Halawani, a second-year peer heading the Media Committee, expanded the list, as she told Arab News: 鈥淗eatstroke, low blood sugar, low blood pressure, plus fractures or wounds needing stitches.鈥�
Coordinating 10,000 caregivers across shifting pilgrim tides presented particular hurdles. Al-Arabi highlighted accommodation logistics as her team鈥檚 steepest challenge: 鈥淐oordinating large volunteer groups across field hospitals while ensuring 24/7 oversight. That鈥檚 the toughest part.鈥�
Transportation emerged as another pressure point. Halawani emphasized the complexity of reaching ritual sites such as Arafat and Mina, calling it a 鈥渕assive time and coordination鈥� effort.
Beyond statistics, the human spirit defined the mission. Abdulwasea called her contribution an enduring honor: 鈥淚t was a good day and I鈥檓 honored to be part of this noble mission.鈥�
For university volunteers, the experience resonated deeper. Al-Arabi described serving pilgrims as 鈥渓ife-changing,鈥� stressing that sacrificing seven days with family was 鈥渨orth every second鈥� for the privilege of honoring Allah鈥檚 guests.
Halawani captured the sentiment: 鈥淎n indescribable privilege. Being chosen by Allah to serve Hajj pilgrims honors both the location and the moment. If you get this chance? Grab it. It鈥檚 truly unmissable.鈥�