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Mount Arafat: More than two million Muslim pilgrims crowded onto Mount Arafat near Mecca on Friday to pray for peace and a safe Haj.
Muslims believe prayers will be easily heard on the mountain plain — the site of Prophet Mohammad's last sermon 1,400 years ago.
Mohamado Thiam, a telecoms engineer from Senegal, said pilgrims are praying for Muslims in hotspots around the world.
"I'm very happy, look how our nation is expanding," he said. "But we have to pray for our brethren in Iraq, in Palestine, in Sudan. There are people dying there."
Authorities said 1.65 million pilgrims have come from abroad – a six per cent rise from the last Haj.
Saudi Arabia has already deployed more than 50,000 troops to maintain security amid security fears over an ongoing sectarian strife between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday—the last three days of the Haj—will be the key test of new arrangements at the symbolic stoning of the devil, the most incident-prone Haj ritual.
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