DAMMAM, 14 January 2004 — Government agencies, Saudi Arabian Airlines and transport companies including Saudi Arabian Transport Company (SAPTCO) have made final arrangements for this year’s Haj.
The Passports Department has said that expatriates who have performed Haj during the past five years are not eligible to do so this year. The department clarified that those wishing to perform Haj must first get an endorsement from any mutawif and then apply to the Passports Department.
The projections are that there will be a marginal decline in local pilgrims this year. Transport companies say Haj bookings are not very encouraging. However, they say that it is still early to draw conclusions.
Several transport companies in the Eastern Province hire buses from neighboring Kuwait, Qatar and even the UAE in order to meet the pilgrims’ needs. The companies say that a decline in pilgrims causes huge loses as the hired buses are expensive.
In addition to established transport companies, dozens of individuals operate buses to the holy sites. They offer competitive packages and are serious competition for both transport companies and SAPTCO. Normally the average package offered by transport companies ranges from SR2,000 to SR5,000 depending upon accommodation and other facilities. Privately-managed tours, on the other hand, cost from SR700 to SR2,000.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian Airlines is urging passengers not to make multiple bookings for pilgrimage. The airline is already reporting overbooking for the Haj.
Civil Defense Preparations
The Civil Defense Department has deployed 49 permanent fire-fighting units, 25 seasonal units and six mobile units in addition to 23 rescue teams and seven first-aid service units in Makkah to serve pilgrims.
“We have also prepared a plan to deal with rainfall and flash floods in coordination with other government departments,” a press statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency said.
The department has trained 300 officers at the Grand Mosque to deal with stampedes. Civil defense officers have been given special training to deal with unforeseen events. Pilgrims are also being instructed in different languages about what to do in the event of accidents.
