Integrating social media and mobile apps into Hajj management

Hajj, the 5th pillar of Islam, and is an annual pilgrimage of many people from many countries to one spiritual city which is Makkah (Mecca), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The management of the Hajj is becoming more challenging with each year that passes due to the increase in the numbers of Muslims worldwide and increased demand for wanting to perform hajj each year. Despite very hard efforts of the Hajj and security authorities to raise awareness and increase communication to avoid overcrowding and disasters in Hajj, especially during Jamarat (stoning) ritual, injuries and deaths still occur. The Majority of problems encountered in crowd management can be minimized by the use of integrated social media Apps. Some of these Apps are already being practiced in many activities of our lives but these still need to be implemented and tested in crowded events. Moreover, the extent of efficiency and the effectiveness of such Apps is yet to be determined in the intense crowded gatherings like those of the Hajj. The objective of this paper is to propose an App which, when integrated with the social media, would help pilgrims to safeguard them from dangers and hence would contribute improvement of Hajj Management in significantly. This App can also be used in any crowded events such as Kumbh Mela.