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While two million people are expected to perform Hajj in Mecca, starting from Sunday the 19th, several mobile apps in different languages have been created to facilitate their arrival, says France 24.
Dubbed «Smart hajj», this initiative will allow pilgrims to find their way or get emergency medical care from the Saudi Red Crescent, after sharing their location. The Ministry of Pilgrimage has created the «Manasikana» app, which operates as a translator for non-Arabic and non-English speaking pilgrims.
France 24 recalls that the Hajj represents a huge logistical challenge for the Saudi authorities. Since 1987, several tragedies have taken place during the annual event, resulting in hundreds of deaths in crowds or clashes between Saudi police and Iranian pilgrims protesting against the United States and Israel.
In 2015, a huge stampede had killed 2,300 people, including hundreds of Iranians. Tehran temporarily suspended the sending of its citizens to the hajj.
