The searing heat in the kingdom is likely to hit 43 degrees Celsius, creating challenges for Hujjaj especially the elderly ones during their pilgrimage.

The Saudi authorities have urged Hujjaj to drink plenty of water and protect themselves from the sun.

Hujjaj spent last night in a giant tented city in Mina, a valley several kilometres outside Makkah.

Also read: Over a million faithful begin Hajj pilgrimage in sweltering heat

After their stay at Arafat, where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) delivered his final sermon, Hujjaj will head to Muzdalifah where they will collect pebbles to carry out the symbolic “stoning of the devil” ritual in Mina on Sunday.

The kingdom received more than 1.8 million pilgrims last year for the Hajj, around 90 percent of whom came from abroad.

This year’s Hajj takes place in the shadow of the Gaza war, after eight months of bloodshed that is an open wound for many in the Muslim world.

Hajj is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. It is one of the five pillars of Islam and involves a series of religious rites performed in Makkah and its surroundings.

It is obligatory for all Muslims, who have the means, to perform the Hajj pilgrimage once in life.