Emergency Contacts for Pilgrims in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has a unified ایمرجنسی number 911 that connects to all ایمرجنسی services, including police, ambulance, and fire. However, direct service numbers are also operational and can sometimes provide faster routing. The ambulance and medical ایمرجنسی number is 997, which connects to the Saudi Red Crescent Authority. The fire department number is 998. The police ایمرجنسی number is 999. The traffic accident number is 996. The drug and poison ایمرجنسی line is 920002814. These numbers work from any phone — local SIM, international roaming, or even a phone without a SIM card. When calling, be prepared to state your location as precisely as possible, ideally with a landmark name or street name. English-speaking operators are increasingly available on 911, but having a companion who speaks Arabic can speed the response.

The Saudi Ministry of حج and عمرہ operates a dedicated حاجی helpline at 920002814, available in multiple languages including Arabic, English, Urdu, Indonesian, and Turkish. This line can assist with lost حجاج, missing حج groups, accommodation issues, and general حاجی inquiries. The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques can be reached through the Haram security offices located at every major gate of both مسجد الحرام and مسجد نبوی. Medical clinics operate 24 hours a day within both مسجد complexes, staffed with doctors and nurses who can handle emergencies and common حاجی health issues. During حج season, field hospitals and medical tents are established at منیٰ, عرفات, and مزدلفہ. The Saudi health ایمرجنسی line 937 (SEHA) provides medical advice and can direct you to the nearest healthcare facility.

Every حاجی should save their home country's embassy or consulate contact information before traveling to Saudi Arabia. Most countries with significant Muslim populations maintain consulates in Jeddah (the closest major diplomatic center to مکہ مکرمہ) and embassies in Riyadh. During حج season, many countries establish temporary consular offices in مکہ مکرمہ and منیٰ specifically to assist their nationals. Embassies can help with lost or stolen passports (issuing ایمرجنسی travel documents), legal issues, medical emergencies requiring repatriation, and locating missing persons. Your حج operator should have a direct line to your country's حج mission, which acts as liaison between the embassy and حاجی groups. Store your embassy number, your حج operator's ایمرجنسی number, and your group leader's number in your phone and on a physical card kept in your money belt.

Beyond knowing the ایمرجنسی numbers, personal preparation is critical. Create an ایمرجنسی card — a small laminated card carried on your person at all times — containing your full name, nationality, passport number, blood type, allergies, medications, chronic conditions, hotel name and address, حج group name and number, group leader's phone number, ایمرجنسی contact back home, and embassy phone number. Write this information in both English and Arabic. Store the same information digitally in your phone's medical ID feature (available on both iPhone and Android), which can be accessed by medical responders without unlocking your phone. Share your location with a trusted family member using Google Maps or WhatsApp live location sharing during the حج days. Register with your country's embassy or consular representation in Saudi Arabia before departure, so they have your details on file in case of ایمرجنسی.