Hajj: The art of crowd management

My friend Ali Al-Alyani wrote on his Twitter account that Saudi Arabia is a school in the art of crowd management. He said those who hate the Kingdom or have grudges against it would be hit by this very fact that will fall on their heads like a solid rock. Crowd management, in general, is the process of achieving targeted goals through the ideal use of the available resources, according to an established pattern and in a delicately calculated environment.

By this introduction I meant to say that crowd management is a social science with intricate specializations. This science is gaining maximum importance due to its impact on human lives.

The management of large numbers of people is one of the difficult sciences that requires the collaboration of a number of parties including health, road security and other services related to various administrations. This science needs more than what one expert meant when he said that “management is a process related to planning, organization, leadership and supervision of the human, material and data resources in a certain organizational environment”.

Crowd management is a subject that is concerned with the psychology of large groups of people. It is the art of dealing with different cultures, languages and behaviors. It is clear that this work requires immense cooperation with all the other concerned parties, such as Haj companies, transport and other private establishments. It also requires planning, organization, supervision, the use of accumulated experiments and making use of past experience.

Millions of Muslims look forward to coming for Haj or Umrah. This has made the Kingdom a pioneer in managing and controlling large numbers of people. The German News Agency (DPA) said in 2012 that the Kingdom was “entitled to a gold medal in the management of the masses and the guidance of large groups of people.”

The Kingdom has paid great attention to this science. It has opened a special institute for crowd management. The Haj Research Center of Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah has conducted a number of studies on the problems and crises facing officials. It has presented a number of recommendations and proposals in this respect.

The Kingdom’s success in crowd management is attributed to the concern given to it by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The government is keen that pilgrims perform their rituals in ease, peace and comfort. The management of large crowds is a continuous process in the Kingdom throughout the year in the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque. It is also involved in managing the arrival and departure of pilgrims and visitors.

The Kingdom is a pioneer in crowd management and in guiding large groups of people. This is done with local studies and research. It performs its duty which is dictated by its pivotal role as a leader of the Muslim world. It is doing this with acumen and skill not with dreams or delusions.The horns of hate will forever be silenced by the success of the Kingdom in managing the massive numbers of people who move in small areas at the same time.

-The author is a Saudi legal adviser and writer.