Pilgrims Perform Tawaf Al-Ifadah After Stoning Jamrat Al-Aqaba in Mina and Makkah

Pilgrims moved between Mina and Makkah as Eid-day Hajj rituals continued smoothly, with many beginning Tawaf Al-Ifadah at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Wednesday after carrying out the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina.

“Pilgrims performed Tawaf al-Ifadah at the Grand Mosque in Mecca today, Wednesday, after completing the standing at Arafat, spending the night in Muzdalifah, and performing the stoning of the Great Jamrah al-Aqabah, in an atmosphere of faith characterized by serenity and humility, with large crowds of pilgrims moving through the aisles and courtyards of the Haram”

Al-Jazeera Net

Arab News said the stoning ritual began with pilgrims throwing pebbles at Jamrat Al-Aqaba, the largest of the three stone structures at the Jamarat facility, before proceeding with other Eid-day rituals including animal sacrifice and shaving or trimming hair for men.

Al-Jazeera Net

In temperatures approaching 44°C, according to the National Center for Meteorology, pilgrim movement toward the Jamarat Bridge and surrounding areas proceeded in an organized, gradual flow with groups distributed over different levels in accordance with the operational plan.

The Saudi Gazette described how, on Wednesday, pilgrims started performing five main rituals on the third day of Hajj, including obligatory stoning at Jamrat, shaving or trimming hair, and sacrificing of animal, alongside Tawaf Al-Ifadah and Sai.

The Saudi Gazette added that pilgrims used seven pebbles for the stoning ritual and that movement to hurl pebbles at Jamrat Al-Aqaba was smooth, orderly, and flexible on the floors of the giant Jamarat Bridge Complex.

Arab News quoted Indian pilgrim Labiq Sayyad saying, “this Hajj season was very well organized,” while his companion Maryam said they were thankful to Saudi Arabia and satisfied with the services provided.

Iraqi pilgrim Samar Adnan Hashim told Arab News, “Since we arrived here, the organization (has been) very good … they are in fact excellent. May Allah bless you all for the service you are offering,” as the article described smooth returns to accommodation sites.

Arab News

The Saudi Gazette said the Jamarat facility witnessed smooth crowd movement supported by direct field monitoring and operational plans designed to regulate pedestrian flows and ensure safe mobility between the holy sites.

It also reported that comprehensive services were in place, including security, healthcare, ambulance, municipal, and civil defense services, while security personnel managed the flow and guided pilgrims to designated routes and levels.

Al Jazeera Net described the Jamaraat Bridge as prepared with protective plans and multiple routes to distribute crowds across different levels, and said authorities closed several roads leading to Mina and redirected them to pedestrian paths as part of crowd-management arrangements.

The scale of the operation was central to the reporting, with the Saudi Gazette saying more than 1.7 million pilgrims performed Hajj this year, including 1,546,655 foreign pilgrims and 160,646 domestic pilgrims.

“Pilgrims Wednesday performed Tawaf Al-Ifadah at the Grand Mosque after standing at Arafat, spending the night in Muzdalifah and performing the stoning of Jamrat Al-Aqaba, SPA reported”

Asharq Al-Awsat English

Al Jazeera Net added that the Jamaraat facility can accommodate more than 300,000 pilgrims per hour, and said joint coordination between security forces, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, and Tawafa institutions was carried out in accordance with time schedules for each campaign.

The same Al Jazeera Net report said the season had seen no notable incidents “thanks to the stringent preventive measures taken by the competent authorities,” and it cited a health response that included “more than 1,100 ambulance points” inside the Jamaraat facility.

It also reported that the Ministry of Health recorded a 90% decrease in heat-exhaustion cases compared with last season, attributing the change to preventive measures focused on reducing direct sun exposure during peak hours.

In the final phase described by the local SNRTnews report, pilgrims performed Tawaf al-Wadaa to mark the end of Hajj, with the article stating that on the third day corresponding to the 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah, unhurried pilgrims left Mina for Mecca to perform Tawaf al-Wadaa around the Holy Kaaba.