SPACECOOL Donates 1,000 “SPACECOOL Parasols” to Help Protect Pilgrims from Extreme Heat
SPACECOOL INC. has donated 1,000 SPACECOOL Parasols, featuring the radiative cooling material “SPACECOOL” in the fabric, to help protect pilgrims visiting Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia for the Islamic major pilgrimage (Hajj) from extreme heat conditions. The parasols will be distributed through the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the Saudi Arabian government body responsible for receiving and supporting pilgrims.
Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is considered a significant pilgrimage that Muslims are expected to undertake once in their lifetime. Every year, Muslims from around the world travel to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia to participate. In 2026, Hajj is being held from May 25 to May 30, with approximately 1.7 million authorized pilgrims participating from across the globe.
During the previous Hajj season, pilgrims faced record-breaking heat exceeding 50°C, resulting in more than 1,300 deaths due to heatstroke and other heat-related causes. As heat management for pilgrims has become a major challenge for the authorities, the SPACECOOL Parasol has received strong recognition for its cooling performance. Saudi government officials who used the parasol commented that it “felt very cool and was excellent.”
The SPACECOOL Parasol achieves a JIS-certified heat shielding rate of 76–80%, one of the highest levels available for parasols, and delivers superior heat shielding performance compared to conventional high-performance parasols.
Moving forward, SPACECOOL INC. will continue accelerating collaborations with local partners in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East to address extreme heat challenges and contribute to regional heat mitigation efforts through radiative cooling technology.
