MAKKAH, 24 January 2003 — More than 12,000 additional security personnel will be deployed in the holy sites in Makkah from the first of Dul Hijjah as part of the traffic plan for this year’s Haj. Officials from the ministries of Haj and transportation and the Traffic Department will work together to ensure the successful implementation of the plan.

In an interview with Okaz newspaper, Fahd Al-Bishr, director general of the Traffic Department, said that no buses will be allowed to enter the holy places without proper Haj authorization.

“Cars and other service vehicles must pass mechanical tests for safety,” he said, adding that traffic movement on the main roads will be monitored from air.

424,000 pilgrims arrive

JEDDAH, 24 January 2003 — The number of pilgrims who arrived in the Kingdom until yesterday reached 424,000, Saudi Press Agency reported. Gen. Abdul Aziz Sajeeni, director general of passports, said that of these some 419,000 pilgrims came by air, 5,286 came by land and 3,678 by sea.

Radio program on Haj rites

MAKKAH, 24 January 2003 — Saudi Radio has prepared under the supervision of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs a 91-episode program on the right manner of performing Haj, Okaz newspaper reported yesterday. The program titled “My brother pilgrim” will be broadcast in a number of languages, including Arabic, French, English, Urdu, Indonesian, Turkish and Farsi during the pilgrimage.

Stay at airport shortened

MAKKAH, 24 January 2003 — Haj Minister Iyad Madani has instructed Tawafa organizations to shorten the stay of returning pilgrims at Jeddah airport to eight hours, Al-Jazirah daily reported. He said the organizations should make necessary changes to their schedule for pilgrims’ return journey accordingly. As per the new directive, pilgrims must report at the airport eight hours before the departure of their flights. During previous years, the pilgrims had to report 12 hours ahead of departure.

No role in selecting pilgrims

ISLAMABAD, 24 January 2003 — Ali Asiri, Saudi ambassador in Islamabad, has said that the Kingdom does not interfere in the selection process of pilgrims from Pakistan, the Saudi Press Agency reported yesterday. “The embassy’s role is just to stamp the passports presented by the Pakistani Ministry of Religious Affairs,” he said. According to a quota system agreed by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Pakistan can send 120,000 pilgrims annually.