The white rectangles of the Hajj Terminal at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, are visible from cruising altitude. Their vastness meets a need that first became apparent when jumbo jets began delivering unprecedented numbers of pilgrims for the hajj, the Muslim ritual journey to Mecca. A new type of passenger terminal was necessary to accommodate about 1 million hajjis passing through the airport over a one-month period annually, often pausing here up to 36 hours before and after the ground trips linking them to their ultimate goal.
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