JEDDAH, 11 February — Minister of Haj Iyad Madani has called on young Saudis to take advantage of the vast job opportunities made available during the season, saying that while the work may be difficult it is nevertheless rewarding.
He expressed displeasure at the response by young Saudis thus far.
Each year, a minimum of 16,000 drivers and 3,000 administrators and technicians are needed to work during the six-weeklong pilgrimage season. Many other jobs are available in the service sector.
The government has allowed government employees to seek extra jobs during Haj. But the minister said that, based on previous experience, the response from Saudi youths is disappointing.
"It is true that work during Haj may be hard and requires patience and endurance; but financially this kind of work is rewarding. One should also remember that one is serving pilgrims, and this is a great honor. Unfortunately, our previous experience has shown that the response from Saudi youth has been limited," the minister said in a television interview.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Haj has embarked on a plan to improve the services provided to pilgrims traveling by road, saying this involves the building of modern rest houses along the country’s highways in cooperation with the Ministry of Communications.
Madani said beginning from next year, only rest houses authorized by the Ministr will be allowed to receive buses transporting pilgrims. The move comes in the wake of complaints about the quality of service offered by existing rest houses, which are usually attached to petrol stations.
Responding to complaints that the fees charged by local tawafa organizations serving resident pilgrims are high and is not reflected in the services they offer, the minister said that many considerations might have contributed to the situation, including the distance covered by pilgrims to reach Makkah and the type of transport used.
