Saudi Arabia has put drones at the centre of its medical logistics plan for Hajj 2026, deploying the aircraft to carry medicines and medical samples across the holy sites — including Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) in Makkah, Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet’s Mosque) in Madinah, and the pilgrimage zones of Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah.

Health Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel told Arab News the service is the result of two years of intensive studies and experiments, with trials covering safe takeoff and landing procedures as well as performance under high temperatures.

“This modern technology aims to deliver medicines on a large scale during the Hajj season while reducing the time required to deliver medical supplies to just six minutes, compared to 90 minutes using ground transportation,” Al-Jalajel said.

The project is a joint venture between the Makkah Health Cluster and the National Unified Procurement Company (NUPCO), which together manage the supply chain and logistics of essential medical resources across the region.

During the pilot phase carried out in Hajj 1446, one notable delivery saw ice packs sent by drone to Mina Emergency Hospital — supplies used to treat heat exhaustion and sunstroke, conditions commonly experienced by pilgrims during the peak summer heat.

The drone system sits within a wider healthcare operation being built for Hajj 2026. Minister Al-Jalajel confirmed that more than 20,000 hospital beds have been allocated for the season, including 3,800 within the holy sites, alongside 25 urgent care centres.