Optimising Crowd Management Strategies for Mass Gatherings: The Case of the Hajj Pilgrimage

Abstract

This study takes a critical look at crowd management strategies utilised during the Hajj pilgrimage: one of the most complex mass gatherings in the world. It identifies key gaps in the protection of crowds and offers recommendations on emergency preparedness, risk management, crowd governance, and the interrelationships between crowd behaviour, technology, and institutional frameworks. Under an exploratory case study design, the study uses an entirely qualitative approach. It draws on secondary data from academic writings and reports by governments and NGOs, standards of international agencies, and technical documents for the period between 2015 and 2024. The data were analysed thematically under ten key areas relating to crowd management theory, practice, and policy. The findings reveal that the culture of crowd behaviour in Hajj is dependent on religious identity, ritual obligation, and cultural patterns-making factors that have often been disregarded by traditional crowd control models. There are ethical concerns in applying AI and surveillance systems, which also find scant usage due to poor infrastructural synergy in the decision-making process. The policy framework reveals weak coordination among agencies, with emergency preparedness planning rarely affording any flexibility or cultural relevance. Such findings reveal the persistent chasm between theory and practice. Despite reforms and technological advancements, challenges in coordinating, adjusting, and culturally sensitive governance for collective safety remain. This study then contributes from the culture side by calling for a holistic, integrated, and flexible approach that holistically addresses infrastructure, governance, technology, and ethics towards safer crowds during Hajj and the like.