Internet on Hajj — what happens at Mina and Arafat

Internet on Hajj is not the same as on Umrah

On Umrah the internet usually works; the real job is setting the phone up. On Hajj the internet is itself the problem.

From the 8th to the 13th of Dhul Hijjah, millions of pilgrims are in a few square kilometres of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah. Every operator's towers in that area fill up at the same moments. That is not a weakness of any one company — no network has the capacity for that many people.

Anyone telling you their eSIM will be fast at Arafat is not telling you the truth. Ours will not be either. That is why this guide is mostly about what to do when there is no internet.

What to expect on which day

The most important thing: a plan for separation that needs no internet

Getting separated from your group is the biggest risk on Hajj, and it happens exactly when the network is down — at Jamarat, leaving Arafat, on the night at Muzdalifah.

So whatever you arrange has to work without the internet:

• Write your group leader's and your Muallim's numbers on paper and keep it in a pocket — it still works if the phone dies
• Write down your tent number and where it sits in Mina
• Agree a meeting point with your group in advance
• Keep your Hajj ID card around your neck at all times — it is how people get you back to your group

WhatsApp live location helps on a good day. On a hard one it will not, so do not depend on it.

Battery — a bigger problem than the internet

There are few charging points in the Mina tents, and everyone wants them at once. At Arafat you are outdoors all day.

A phone on a weak signal drains faster, because it keeps searching for the network. Where there is no signal, switch to flight mode and the battery will last.

Carry a power bank, charged before Hajj begins. In the heat a phone can overheat and shut itself down — keep it out of the sun.

Tell your family in advance

Families worry more during the days of Hajj, and more still when the phone goes unanswered.

Before you leave, tell them that on the day of Arafat and the night at Muzdalifah you may be unreachable — and that this is normal, not a cause for alarm. You will be in touch once you are back at Mina or the hotel.

Saying that once beforehand saves hours of worry later.

How much data to buy

You will not use much data during the days of Hajj itself, because the network will barely work. Most of it goes in Makkah beforehand and after Hajj is done.

For most pilgrims 10 GB is enough, because the trip is long — often thirty to forty days. Take more if you want to video call home daily. If it runs out, you top up the same eSIM.

• Saudi Arabia eSIM plans and prices
• Umrah SIM package — Jazz, Zong, Ufone and eSIM compared

What this guide cannot promise

Hajj arrangements change every year — where the tents are, how the Muallim system works, what Saudi Arabia requires. The dates and places in this guide are a general picture, not this year's instructions.

Your group leader's and your Muallim's instructions always come before this guide or any blog.

Will the internet work at Arafat?

Very slowly or not at all. On the 9th of Dhul Hijjah millions of people are there and every network fills up. Plan on that.

Which eSIM works best on Hajj?

None is fast in the Mina and Arafat crowds — that is a network capacity problem, not a provider problem. The difference shows on the other days.

How much data do I need for Hajj?

10 GB for most people, because the trip is long. During the days of Hajj itself you use little, because the network is so slow.

What if I get separated from my group?

Do not rely on the internet. Go to the meeting point you agreed in advance, and use your Hajj ID card and the Muallim's number written in your pocket.