Muslim pilgrims pray on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage. AFP
The final rituals of the Hajj conclude on Saturday with the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina and the Farewell Tawaf at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
Worshippers wishing to expedite their departure are permitted to conclude the rituals by the third day of Eid Al-Adha, also known as the second day of Tashreeq, provided they complete the stoning ritual and leave Mina before sunset.
Cairo International Airport said it will receive its first returning pilgrims on regular EgyptAir flights on Friday, with the first dedicated air-bridge flights from Jeddah scheduled for Saturday.
Flights from Medina are expected to begin arriving on Monday, 1 June, Ahram Arabic news website reported.
A total of 74,642 pilgrims are scheduled to return through Cairo on 474 flights, airport authorities said. This includes 30,450 passengers from Jeddah on 247 flights and 44,192 from Medina on 227 flights.
To manage the traffic, Cairo Airport Company has distributed arrivals across three terminals: EgyptAir flights will use the seasonal terminal, Saudi Arabian Airlines will use Terminal 2, and private carriers will operate from Terminal 1.
Special assistance teams have been deployed to help elderly and disabled passengers.
Separately, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism said on Friday that field teams were monitoring conditions at pilgrim camps in Mina, where worshippers stay during key stages of the pilgrimage.
This includes the initial Day of Tarwiyah, which falls two days before Eid Al-Adha, and the multi-day Tashreeq rituals during the first three days of the Eid holiday.
Samia Sami, head of the tourism ministry's Hajj mission, said this year's operations included upgraded infrastructure, such as the introduction of multi-story towers in Mina as an alternative to traditional tents.
The ministry also used digital tracking systems this year, including smart cameras to monitor camp occupancy and barcode-scanned entry cards.
A mobile application called "Rafeeq" was used to track lost pilgrims and log electronic complaints, Sami added.
The tourism mission said it was continuing to coordinate the movement of pilgrims to the stoning ritual according to strict schedules to avoid peak afternoon heat.
The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able.
The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a mandatory religious duty for all Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake it at least once in their lifetimes.
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