Big Data Analytics Strategy Framework: A Case of Crowd Management During the Hajj Pilgrimage, Mecca, Saudi Arabia

The objective of the present study was an investigation of applications of big data analytics in Hajj and Umrah for pilgrims, who come to Saudi Arabia every year for tourism and observation of religious rites as per the sacred beliefs of Islam. It has now become a necessity to see more applications of big data analytics in these pilgrimages because of the growing number of people every year. Therefore, crowd control, crowd management and conflict management are essential for reduction of stress, troubles, fatalities, accidents, theft and possible deaths during Hajj and Umrah events. Developing a predictive data analytic model for Hajj and Umrah will improve the efficiency, gross domestic product (GDP), surveillance, revenue generation, opportunities and satisfaction for the pilgrimages. In this paper, review of big data tools was presented along with their use in the decision support system and how it can be used for surveillance and crowd management. A robust big data framework applicable for Hajj and Umrah events was also presented in this paper. This was meant to aid seamless adoption and implementation of big data applications across sectors and government parastatals involved in Hajj and Umrah. The presented framework was also included all the relevant use cases related to these pilgrimages.