Managing the World’s Largest Religious Gathering: A Scopus-Based Bibliometric Analysis of Hajj and Muslim Pilgrimage Management Research

Abstract

This bibliometric study systematically maps the scholarly landscape of Hajj and Muslim pilgrimage management from 2011 to 2025. While the Hajj represents a profound religious obligation for millions of Muslims, its scale presents complex challenges in crowd control, public health, logistics, and governance, yet a comprehensive overview of the academic discourse remains limited. Addressing this gap, we employed a rigorous bibliometric methodology using Scopus as the data source, applying the Boolean query TITLE((managem*) AND (haj* OR pilgrim* OR "mass gathering")) to identify relevant literature. After screening 147 initial records against inclusion criteria: peer-reviewed, English-language journal articles published between 2011 and 2025, we retained a final dataset of 65 articles. Data were cleaned and standardized using OpenRefine, while bibliometric indicators (publication trends, subject areas, country contributions, and citation impact) were extracted using Scopus Analyzer. Thematic and network analyses including co-authorship and keyword co-occurrence were conducted via VOSviewer. Findings reveal a steady increase in research output, peaking in 2022 and 2025 (9 articles each), and highlight strong interdisciplinary engagement across Social Sciences (18 articles), Computer Science (17), Engineering (14), and Medicine (14). Saudi Arabia leads in publication output (21 articles), followed by Indonesia (12) and Malaysia (8). Key thematic clusters include crowd management, digital technologies (e.g., AI, UAVs), public health, sustainability, and religious tourism governance. Highly cited works emphasize emergency response systems and smart solutions for mass gatherings. This study not only charts the intellectual evolution of the field but also identifies emerging trends and research gaps, offering valuable insights for scholars and policymakers committed to enhancing the safety, efficiency, and spiritual integrity of Hajj management in alignment with global standards and Saudi Vision 2030.