E-Prosiding Persidangan Serantau Manasik Haji 2025 (MANASIK2025)

MANASIK2025 Putrajaya, Malaysia, 7-8 Oktober 2025 598 Beyond health, AI contributes to enhancing pilgrims’ psychological well -being by reducing uncertainty and fear in navigating complex rituals. Real-time crowd guidance systems, language translation tools, and AI-powered chatbots provide immediate assistance, ensuring that pilgrims can find their way, understand instructions, and seek help without hesitation. This sense of personalized support fosters confidence and minimizes the stress that often accompanies participation in such a massive event (Alafif et al., 2025). Most importantly, AI allows pilgrims to dedicate more of their mental and emotional energy to the spiritual dimensions of Hajj. By addressing logistical and health-related burdens, AI functions as a silent enabler that safeguards worshippers’ dignity and e mpowers them to concentrate on prayer, reflection, and the sacred rites themselves. Thus, technology, when aligned with Islamic values, does not disrupt spirituality but enhances the overall pilgrimage experience by harmonizing physical safety with religious devotion. 2. For Organizers (governments and agencies) From the organizers’ perspective, AI introduces transformative solutions to the longstanding challenge of managing millions of people in confined spaces within a limited timeframe. Real-time crowd analytics powered by computer vision enable authorities to predict and manage congestion before it becomes dangerous. Algorithms trained to detect abnormal movement patterns can send alerts to crowd managers, facilitating proactive interventions that prevent tragedies similar to those historically associated with overcrowding at key ritual sites (Alquayt et al., 2025). AI also enhances the efficiency of healthcare delivery during Hajj, where the sheer scale of participation puts immense pressure on medical services. Predictive diagnostics, resource allocation models, and automated decision-support systems help direct medical staff to where they are most urgently needed. For instance, AI can forecast demand for ambulances, hospital beds, or medical supplies, ensuring that the healthcare infrastructure remains responsive and sustainable even under extreme strain (Shambour & Gutub, 2022). In addition, AI optimizes logistical planning for transportation, accommodation, and food distribution. By analyzing historical data alongside real-time inputs, AI can assist in creating adaptive management systems that reduce bottlenecks and improve the overall flow of people and resources. This not only contributes to safety but also ensures that pilgrims encounter fewer disruptions, thereby supporting the seamless execution of rituals. Consequently, AI offers organizers a comprehensive toolkit to manage complexity with greater accuracy and foresight. 3. For Policymakers The implementation of AI in Hajj management raises critical policy considerations that extend beyond technical efficiency. At the core lies the question of data governance, particularly in relation to sensitive health and biometric information collected from millions of pilgrims. Robust regulatory frameworks must be established to guarantee that such data is used ethically, securely stored, and not exploited for purposes beyond the pilgrimage (Shah, 2024). Without these safeguards, the trust of pilgrims and the sanctity of the event could be compromised. Policymakers also face the challenge of regulating surveillance technologies. While AI-based monitoring tools are invaluable for crowd management and security, they risk crossing into forms of intrusive observation that may undermine the dignity of pilgrims. Clear ethical boundaries are therefore required to ensure that technology serves protective, rather than exploitative, purposes. Establishing transparency in how these systems operate is essential to preserve public confidence and respect for the spiritual mission of Hajj (Shah, 2024).