JEDDAH, 13 December 2003 — Interior Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee Prince Naif has approved an advanced operation plan for areas surrounding the Grand Mosque in Makkah during the Haj season, Al-Madinah newspaper reported quoting a senior official.

Dr. Muhammad ibn Abdullah Idris, a senior official at the King Fahd Haj Research Institute, said the plan would be implemented with the participation of 11 government departments working under a unified command.

“The central region of Makkah will be divided into three centers, each with an integrated operation plan,” Idris said, adding that the plan includes a schedule for evacuation of pilgrims in emergencies.

Buses Must Be Registered

All buses used to transport pilgrims must be registered with the traffic department and undergo MVPI tests, an official statement said. Violators face 15 days in jail or a SR500 fine.

“Owners who intend to use their vehicles to transport pilgrims must register them with the traffic department to make sure they are technically fit for the job and to issue permits,” it said.

Owners must report to the traffic office in the nearest MVPI facility to register their buses. They should first obtain a preliminary permit from the Transport Ministry, while those who rent foreign buses for the purpose must get a special permit from the Haj Ministry. “Violators of the rule will be given a maximum jail sentence of 15 days or fined SR500 or both. The buses under violation will be held back until the end of the Haj season,” the statement said.

First Group of Pilgrims Arrives

The first batch of this year’s Haj pilgrims arrived here on Wednesday on two flights from South Africa — 88 pilgrims in all.

Abdullah Al-Mirghalani, director of the Haj Ministry’s office in Jeddah, Abdul Wahid Burhan, chairman of the Tawafa Organization for non-Arab African Pilgrims, and other senior officials welcomed the pilgrims at the airport.

No Quota Increase for Iraqi Pilgrims

An official source at the Haj Ministry yesterday denied reports that the quota of Iraqi pilgrims this year would be doubled from 25,000 to 50,000 to help Iraqis unable to perform Haj in the past.

“There were no talks with the Iraqi authorities on this issue. Every Islamic country wants to increase their quota of pilgrims for one reason or another, but raising the quota would create overcrowding in the holy sites due to the limited space there,” the source told Okaz daily.