Saudi Hajj Management Through Moroccan Pilgrims’ Eyes

Symbolizing unity and solidarity, Mecca holds profound spiritual significance for Muslims. Beyond specific pilgrimage rituals, the Hajj and ‘Umrah provide visitors with opportunities to pray together, socialize, and visit sacred Islamic sites. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Morocco between 2015 and 2018, this chapter explores the ambivalent attitudes expressed by Moroccan pilgrims. Although they hailed the pilgrimage as a “once in a lifetime experience,” they resented the bureaucratic aspects of Hajj management, especially restrictions on pilgrims’ movements imposed by Saudi authorities. Specific issues raised by Moroccan pilgrims included development projects, the destruction of graves and other historic sites associated with the Prophet Muhammad, and efforts to modernize the pilgrimage. Whereas some viewed changes in a positive light, many others described a sense of alienation, lamented the growing divide between rich and poor, expressed skepticism about the future, and reflected nostalgically on pilgrimage traditions of the past.