JEDDAH, 29 December 2005 — The Civil Defense Department has readied a fleet of advanced helicopters to take part in firefighting, rescue, search and reconnaissance operations during this Haj season, Col. Jameel Muhammad Arbaeen, director of the department in Makkah, said yesterday.
In a statement, carried by the Saudi Press Agency, Col. Arbaeen said his officers had inspected 5,176 buildings and more than 750 restaurants and hotels in Makkah to make sure they follow safety regulations. They also checked the safety condition of 51 tunnels across the city.
“We have taken measures to improve the efficiency of our firefighting and rescue units,” Col. Arbaeen said, adding that his department had deployed an adequate number of staff in various parts of the city.
He said the department had also taken precautionary measures to deal with flash floods during the Haj. He said Um Al-Joud, Haj Street, Ghasala, Sharaie and Awali could be flooded in case of heavy rains.
More than 2.5 million pilgrims including over 1.5 million from abroad are expected to take part in this Haj, which begins on Jan. 8.
According to Maj. Gen. Salim Al-Belaihed, head of the Directorate General of Passports, 883,954 pilgrims have already arrived in the Kingdom from different parts of the Muslim world by Tuesday. As many as 834,128 of them came by air, 34,862 by land and 14,964 by sea, he said.
In his statement, Col. Arbaeen said his department had readied seven teams to monitor radioactive, chemical and bacterial pollution.
“These teams will check the rate of pollution inside tunnels and in crowded residential areas,” he said.
In a related development, Sheikh Saleh Al-Hussayen, head of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs, will hand over a new Kaaba cover to Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheibi, the leading keeper of the Holy Kaaba on Jan. 1.
Ziyad Mohiuddin Khoja of the Kiswa Factory in Um Al-Joud said the new cover was manufactured at a cost of SR20 million.
“The presentation of the new kiswa will be made at a colorful ceremony to be held at the factory,” he told Arab News.
Apart from the Kaaba cover, the factory also produces Saudi flags. “Thousands of people, mostly pilgrims, visit the factory every year,” Khoja said. More than 200 Saudis work at the factory, which was first established during the time of King Abdul Aziz.
The new kiswa will be put in place at a ceremony organized by the Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques Affairs, which will be attended by a number of Saudi officials as well as diplomats from Arab and Muslim countries. It will take place on the Arafat Day.
The Kaaba cover is a unique work of art made of black silk and adorned with phrases in praise of Allah. The 14-meter-long cloth has a gilded 95-cm belt along the top containing phrases from the Qur’an in Arabic calligraphy within an arabesque frame. Below the belt are other verses from the Qur’an and phrases in praise of God adorned with Islamic decoration.
The section called burqaa, which is a curtain covering the door of the Kaaba, is similarly embellished with text from holy book in gold plated silver. The complete cover is made of five pieces — four covering each side of the cube-like edifice and the burqaa, sewn together once the cover is in place. All gold and silver embroidery on the kiswa is made by hand.
The curtain lining the inside of the Kaaba is handwoven and thus calls for accuracy and skill as well as genuine artistry. Its making consists of several phases beginning with dyeing the silk green. Verses and designs are drawn and printed onto the green silk for the embroidery that is to follow.
Among the most delicate and longest processes is the embroidery, which is stitched in white over the intricate designs and printed verses. The green silk is then spread and draped over the inner walls of the Kaaba as well as on its ceiling. This part of the inner lining is changed every three to five years. A total of 450 kg of pure silk is used to make the kiswa.
