Big Data Analytics Model for Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 During Hajj using the Proposed Smart Hajj Application

Abstract

Unlike the Pool of Bethesda, Makkah is a moment of sacrifice, a space of unified worship in the lives of Muslim worshipers. The Makkah experience symbolizes the “farewell pilgrimage” of the Prophet Muhammad through the Arabian desert in 632 A.D. (Aljazeera, 2021). The annual Hajj expedition to the Saudi holy city is the fifth of the five Muslim Pillars of Islam. Hajj occurs during Dhu’al-Hijjah, the last month of the year according to the Islamic calendar. Millions of people from across the world assemble to pray in the direction of Ka’bah, the holiest Islamic shrine constructed by Abraham and Ishmael. The 2012 Hajj attracted more than 3 million pilgrims journeyed to Hajj. However, the 2019 SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has since forced decision-makers for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to take further preventive measures in the interests of public health that affect the outcomes of the traditional prayer and worship. Saudi Arabian government officials significantly downsized capacity and instituted protocols for attendance to the 2020 and 2021 Hajj events due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to Muslim pilgrimages, several nations have implemented mHealth apps designed for Covid-19 contact tracing, quarantine enforcement, symptom monitoring, and information provision for mass crowding events. Independently, the apps do not provide a holistic approach to Covid-19 transmission control in mass gatherings. A more universal, less intrusive technological approaches to managing and protecting the Hajj pilgrimage populations using credible, real-time data is needful. This study proposes an information-generating SMART app based on the success of prior apps, the implementation of a Smart Hajj application, which allows authorities to track Hajj pilgrim movement, and collect data as a part of efforts to prevent Covid-19 from disrupting centuries-old tradition Muslim pilgrimages to worship in sacred places.