JEDDAH, 5 February 2003 — As Haj approaches hundreds of thousands of Muslims keep converging on the holy city of Makkah in preparation for the peak of this year’s pilgrimage, which falls on the ninth day of the Muslim lunar month of Dhul Hijjah, Monday, Feb. 10.

The Kingdom has taken the necessary precautions to ensure a trouble-free Haj where about two million Muslims from all over the world are expected. They will retrace the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad who made the journey more than 14 centuries ago. Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam and required of every able-bodied Muslim who can afford the trip once in his lifetime.

Prince Naif, minister of interior and chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, will today make his annual inspection tour visiting the main Haj sites outside Makkah.

He will be briefed by senior government officials and security officers on the preparations taken by various government and private bodies to ensure a safe Haj. Emphasis will be on safety standards as well as the standard of services provided to the pilgrims. The tour will cover the holy sites of Mina and Arafat, where the main Haj activities take place over a period of five days, as well as various facilities in Makkah.

Director of Public Security Gen. Asaad Abdul Karim Al-Furaih said Prince Naif will be briefed on the preparedness of the security forces who have been trained to deal with any eventuality in the largest religious gathering on earth.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims on Monday started leaving Madinah, some 400 kilometers to the north, on buses heading for Makkah to prepare for Haj.They spent the past weeks praying at the Prophet Mosque. Pilgrims leaving Madinah had arrived in the Kingdom at earlier dates. Some have been flown directly into the holy city from their countries while others arrived in Madinah by bus from Jeddah after landing here by air or sea. The pilgrims who arrived at later dates were taken directly to Makkah from King Abdul Aziz International Airport and Jeddah Islamic Port. These will visit Madinah after Haj.

Madinah Governorate Undersecretary Abdul Karim Al-Hunaini said the movement of pilgrims to Makkah was progressing smoothly with hundreds of wide-bodied buses taking part in the process.

Meanwhile, Haj Minister Iyad Madani welcomed the pilgrims, saying Saudi Arabia considers serving them as its duty.

Speaking yesterday at the annual Haj symposium organized by the ministry in Makkah, Madani said Saudi Arabia would spare no effort to provide the best of services to the pilgrims and ensure their safety throughout their stay on its soil. The Saudi government takes no Haj fees with all the money paid by the pilgrims after arriving here going to private establishments that provide different kinds of services including transport, accommodation, handling and other facilities, he said.

A group of prominent scholars and thinkers from all over the Muslim world are taking part in the symposium, which this year focuses on the role of Makkah as the cultural capital of the Muslim world.

Madani commended the role of local private tawafa establishments, saying they have been providing hospitality services to pilgrims coming from more than 170 countries in a tradition going back to centuries.

With Haj now developing into a full-fledged hospitality sector, this calls for closer coordination between the ministry and these establishments for the continuous improvement of services. The ministry is now using the Internet, the media and other means of communication to create more opportunities that would help bring Muslims together, he said.

He underlined the importance of such gatherings as a means of bringing Muslims together to discuss issues of common interest and exchange ideas and expertise. The ministry, he added, tries to ensure that the recommendations put forward by these meetings are implemented in full.