MAKKAH: Mayor of Makkah Osama Al-Bar yesterday signed two contracts worth SR1.2 million with local firms to operate, maintain and clean the civic centers in the holy sites of Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat.
“The municipality is keen to make consummate arrangements and provide the best services to enable the guests of God perform the fifth pillar of Islam in ease, peace and comfort,” Al-Bar told reporters after the signing.
The first contract deals with the operation, maintenance and cleaning of civic centers, while the second concerns importing of prefabricated service units to the centers and municipal offices.
There are 27 civic centers distributed all over the holy sites. Twenty-two are in Muzdalifah, one in Arafat and four in Mina. The civic centers, which numbered 25 last year, will closely supervise all services provided to pilgrims.
In a related development, Issa Rawwas, undersecretary for Umrah affairs at the Haj Ministry, met on Monday Abdul Wahid Burhan, head of the Tawafa Establishment for Non-Arab African Pilgrims. The two officials discussed the grouping and mobilization of the 160,000 African pilgrims who are expected this year.
He underlined the importance of honoring grouping plans and mobilizing pilgrims according to the set timetable, warning that roads to and from the Jamarat would be too crowded if they failed to commit themselves to the schedule.
Rawwas urged the Tawafa establishments to upgrade their services for the welfare of the guests of God.
