MAKKAH, 1 March — A record 1.5 million people from abroad are expected to perform Haj this year, according to Haj Minister Iyad Madani. The Passports Department said more than 1.3 million people have already arrived from abroad for the annual pilgrimage starting Saturday.
Pakistan's Chief Executive Gen. Pervez Musharraf arrived in Jeddah yesterday for Haj. Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed and other top officials received him at the airport.
"Preparation for Haj is an ongoing effort, it never ceases...Our basic objective is to make sure that every pilgrim has peace of mind," Madani told reporters in Makkah. He said the Kingdom had installed tens of thousands of fireproof tents in Mina and Arafat and that fire-fighting installations were fully operational.
Meanwhile, masses of the faithful -- men in two pieces of seamless white cloth and women wearing loose gowns -- thronged the Grand Mosque in large numbers to circumambulate the Holy Ka'aba and offer prayers. Police controlled the main entrances to the holy city yesterday, allowing in only those with Haj permits. Entry to the Makkah area was restricted to ease the movement of pilgrims.
A responsible Health Ministry source yesterday described as "baseless rumor" a report that an Iranian pilgrim in Madinah was infected with Rift Valley Fever. The source said no RVF case had been reported in Makkah, Madinah or Jeddah.
In Riyadh, Health Minister Osama Shubokshi reviewed the ministry's health plan for this Haj season and said all health facilities in Makkah, Mina and other holy sites have been readied in the service of the guests of God. He said the ministry had modernized intensive care units at hospitals in Makkah and the holy sites at a cost of SR40 million.
