Identifying the Impact of Abnormal Crowd Behavior in the Mataf Area of the Grand Mosque Through Understanding the Interrelationships Among Crowd Elements

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the impact of abnormal crowd behavior in the Mataf area of the Grand Mosque through understanding the interrelationships among various crowd elements, in light of the organizational and security challenges imposed by high human density and the unique ritual nature of the site. The study was motivated by the problem that many crowd management systems rely primarily on numerical indicators or direct visual monitoring, without a comprehensive knowledge framework that interprets collective behavior within its spatial and ritual context or systematically links the different crowd elements.

The study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach, based on conceptual and semantic analysis of the relationships among crowd elements, such as crowd density, movement direction, occupancy rate, abnormal behavior, and risk level. This was achieved through employing ontology as a semantic knowledge model that enables the organization of concepts and the structuring of relationships among them. The findings revealed that abnormal crowd behavior cannot be interpreted as an isolated phenomenon or incidental individual behavior; rather, it is the result of a complex relational interaction among spatial, behavioral, and organizational factors.

The results also indicated that movement direction and occupancy rate represent critical factors in interpreting abnormal behavior and assessing risk levels, even in situations where crowd density is not high. The study concluded that understanding the interrelationships among crowd elements constitutes an effective scientific approach to enhancing crowd management in sacred sites, supporting security decision-making, and improving the safety of pilgrims, in alignment with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the directions of smart Hajj and Umrah initiatives.