New Makkah projects to aid Hajj pilgrims

Pilgrims circle the Khaab at the Sacred mosque in Makkah in one of the holy rites of Hajj.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has instructed public and private Hajj agencies to organize all their resources to make this week’s Hajj a success.

A number of new projects have been implemented to assist the expected 3 million pilgrims from around the world.

An estimated 40,000 durable fireproof tents have been set up in Mina. This will minimise the work of civil defence officers. About 3.88 million of fireproof material has been used for the project that covers 2.5 million m2. These modern tents have been provided with 42,000 air-conditioners, 240,000 electric lamps and 170,000 fire extinguishing hoses.

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Due to stampedes and pedestrian traffic bottlenecked at key places,  the government has also constructed luggage storage facilities in the Jamrat area and other locations.

The newly built high-tech Jamrat Bridge with four levels is another milestone in the planning of Mina.

The Kingdom has spent more than US $7 billion (AED 28 billion) in developing the desert valley of Mina into a modern city with  infrastructure facilities including flyovers, tunnels and water and electricity networks.

A media campaign was launched in which Makkah governor Prince Khaled Al Faisal stressed the importance for both Saudis and expatriates to follow Hajj regulations.

The Ministry of Health will deploy more than 10,000 doctors, nurses and paramedical staff for Hajj services. More than 100 specialist doctors from Pakistan and Jordan and 247 nurses from Malaysia have been hired to serve pilgrims.