Hundreds of thousands of Muslims are gathering in the Holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Increased safety measures are in place, in an attempt to prevent stampedes that have resulted in loss of life in previous years.
The pilgrimage, which begins tomorrow and ends on Monday, is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is an obligation for all Muslims to attend at least once during their lives if they can afford to do so.
The Hajj Commission reported that more than 1.6 million people had arrived by yesterday and more were on their way.
Saudis and other Muslims resident in the country are expected to swell the number of the faithful undertaking the Hajj to some 2 million, which is about the same number as last year.
Sectarian tension
Amid continuing violence between Shias and Sunnis in Iraq, authorities are wary of sectarian tensions during the pilgrimage. There are fears of a proxy conflict between Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and Shia-majority Iran.
Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran has insisted on holding a rally during the Hajj to denounce Israel and the US, defying the Saudi ban on political activity during the religious occasion.
Saudi Interior Minister, Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, who also heads the Hajj Supreme Committee, has taken charge of security arrangements including marshalling security and civil defence forces in the holy city.
He warned that security forces would crack down on any attempt to undermine the Hajj.
The last Hajj in January was marred by a stampede which killed 364 people in the arid valley of Mina during a ritual which involves casting stones at pillars representing Satan. A similar stampede in 2004 saw 251 people trampled to death during the stoning ceremony.
Both tragedies occurred at the entrance to the Jamarat bridge and religious leaders have since ordered the dismantling of the structure.
It is understood that organisers are confident that a similar tragedy will be averted this year.
