'Heat of hell': Saudi sun challenges hajj pilgrims

Mecca, Saudi Arabia (AFP) June 26, 2023

Mobile phones are overheating and the pavement feels like a frying pan but for Abdul al-Assad, intense desert heat is all part of the hajj pilgrimage in summertime Saudi Arabia. Even with temperatures hitting 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit), the 48-year-old Briton said the hardship only heightened his experience. "If it was easy, it would be too easy," said Assad, a real esta