Open dumping threatens the environment and public health by causing soil, water, and air pollution and precipitating the deterioration of the environmental balance. Therefore, sustainable waste management practices and compliance with environmental regulations are important to minimize these negative impacts. In this context, it is very important to identify the environmental damage inflicted by open dumping areas and to take measures to prevent this damage. Makkah is among the cities that still use open dumping for solid waste disposal. The rapid increase in this city’s population is generating large quantities of municipal solid waste (MSW), making it difficult to manage waste economically without harming the environment or public health. During Umrah and Hajj, the rate of MSW generation increases to an even greater degree. The sustainable management of MSW in holy cities is of great importance. This study aimed to investigate the environmental impact of the Kakia Open Dumping Site in Makkah on air quality, soil, and nearby groundwater wells. It also conducted analyses of essential elements (Ca, Mg, and Na), heavy metals (Pb, Cd, and Cr), and a metalloid (As) in leachate produced at the Kakia Open Dumpsite, enabling the development of management strategies. In addition, the correlations between the essential elements, the metalloid, and the heavy metals were also analyzed. The goal is not only to mitigate the negative effects of open dumping, but also to highlight the need to adopt sustainable management strategies for MSW in religiously significant cities like Makkah.

Mega-events are held in a city, or more, during a limited time, which requires special attention to the infrastructure and the provision of services. The Umrah and Hajj events, hosted in Makkah - Saudi Arabia, are excellent examples of religious mega-events. The large number of Umrah performers put a huge burden on the transport management systems. As the transportation sector is considered one of the most sensitive elements during mega-events, this paper focuses on the Umrah season during the months of Ramadan as a case study to obtain information about transportation processes during mega-events. This paper has used a questionnaire to collect data about different aspects of the trip characteristics, in addition to some demographic information about the Umrah performers. Data collection was done through a specially designed electronic questionnaire. The data were then analyzed statistically using quantitative analysis. The obtained results help in managing special traffic plans and it may be helpful in designing security management plans and other safety plans related to the Umrah performers.