MAKKAH, 20 December 2007 — When it comes to Haj, nearly every structure in Makkah becomes a rental space, even some private schools that have been converted into hostels that serve food.

A middleman who did not want to give out his name said that an owner of a school asked him to find the best price for renting his school building. The building was divided into two parts: one for a group of Indian pilgrims and the other for a Haj delegation coming from inside the Kingdom.

“We have rented the school because it is private,” he said. “What is important now is making money,” he added.

One of the Indian pilgrims said that he was surprised to find that he would be staying in a school building in Makkah.

“I don’t know if the school is authorized for housing pilgrims or if it is safe,” said the pilgrim.

Ahmad Al-Said, an Arab pilgrim staying at the other side of the school, said that he registered with a local Haj campaign.

“The organizers told us that they have a location in Al-Azizia District not far from Mina,” said Al-Said. We agreed immediately, but we were shocked when we were welcomed at a school building. Schools are meant for education. How can they turn into hotels and restaurants?”

A worker at the school told Arab News that he was asked by the owner of the school to ensure the cleanness of the building and that all equipment at the school are kept in good condition.

“This is not the first time in which this school has been rented,” he said. “It had been rented out to pilgrims a number of times in the past.”

Deputy of the Minister of Haj Hatim Ghadi said that renting governmental schools is not legal. However, renting private school buildings is authorized if the owners follow the rules set by the ministry.

“However, many of these school owners work in secret; we fine them if we know about their illegal practices,” added Ghadi.

Jamil Al-Arbain, the head of the Civil Defense in Makkah, warned against these practices and said that renting unauthorized buildings is dangerous and risky, especially with the absence of security and safety measures.