[2][5][6] The death toll was expected to rise as flood waters receded, allowing rescuers to reach stranded vehicles.

[15] 25 November was the first day of the annual four-day Hajj pilgrimage to Islamic holy sites in and around Mecca, for which Jeddah is the main entry point for foreign pilgrims arriving by air or sea.

The number of foreigners, as well as Saudi citizens,[16] was slightly lower than in previous years, possibly because of health fears due to the pandemic of H1N1 influenza.

[2][3] However, the main Haramain expressway between King Abdulaziz International Airport and Mecca was closed on 25 November, stranding thousands of pilgrims.

[9][17] Hassan Al-Bushra, an epidemiologist at the Cairo office of the World Health Organization, said "there is no evidence" that the rain would worsen the spread of the H1N1 flu virus, a view shared by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).