The Saudi government, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, has carried out a series of vital projects over the past years in order to help Muslim faithful perform their religious rituals in a secure and spiritual atmosphere. These projects include the ongoing, massive and unprecedented expansion of the Grand Mosque to create additional prayer space for nearly a million worshippers. More than 1,000 properties in the adjoining Shamiya and Shubaika areas have been demolished to make room for the growth.
The expansion of the Masaa, the area between Safa and Marwa, located inside the mosque, has been another major project. Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradawi, a renowned Islamic scholar based in Qatar, recently stated that the Masaa expansion would play a big role in reducing the difficulties faced by pilgrims when they come for the world's largest annual congregation of humanity that creates unique crowd-control challenges and responsibilities on the part of Saudi Arabia.
As the man ultimately responsible for the care of both of Islam's two holiest sites and the guests of God who go there, King Abdullah has also allocated SR4.6 billion for new projects at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah. That project includes the installation of 182 sunshades in courtyards around the mosque for the benefit of up to 200,000 worshippers at the same time. A major expansion of the mosque complex's eastern courtyard is also in the works, which when completed will add a 37,000-square-meter prayer plaza for an additional 70,000 worshippers. With the completion of the new expansion project, all residential areas of old Madinah will become part the complex. Some buildings that sprouted 100 years ago outside the old city have been added to the new complex.
As a result of the building of a three-story bridge in Mina in Makkah, the symbolic stoning of Satan at Jamrat is expected to no longer be a nightmarish, and potential dangerous task for pilgrims-especially for the old, young and disabled.
The massive, multilayered bridge and the expansion of its surroundings have made crowds easier to handle. In the past hundreds of pilgrims had lost their lives as a result of stampedes and overcrowding.
The new Jamrat Bridge, with its 10 large entrances is designed to accommodate five million pilgrims in a span of three days. There are a dozen exits to the bridge, as well. The ground and first floors are meant for pilgrims coming from the east of Mina while the second level serves pilgrims coming from the direction of Makkah. The third level is used by pilgrims coming from the north of Mina and new pilgrim camps and the fourth by pilgrims coming from the south of Makkah via King Abdul Aziz Road.
Meanwhile, efforts are under way to establish a SR6.5-billion monorail linking Makkah with the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah. The project will be partially ready for the Haj next year and will be operational with full capacity by 2011. An agreement was signed with China Railway Company to implement the project in Riyadh on Feb. 10.
Habeeb Zain Al-Abidine, deputy minister of municipal and rural affairs and secretary-general of the Commission for Development of Makkah, Madinah and the Holy Sites, said a feasibility study conducted by an international company had proposed five monorails linking the holy sites. “The feasibility study suggested the second monorail be built two to three years after the construction of the first one,” he said, adding that a single monorail would cost SR4 billion. The first monorail beginning from Mina will transport nearly one million pilgrims.
The spread of the H1N1 virus around the world has prompted the government to take extra precautionary measures to protect pilgrims. King Abdullah has ordered an extra six million doses of swine flu vaccine bringing the total quantity of the vaccine ordered by the Kingdom to 10 million doses.
Dr. Khaled Al-Mirghalani, spokesman for the Health Ministry, said Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries to apply for the vaccine. “The people of the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, along with the government personnel on Haj duty will have priority in getting vaccinated, and the remaining will be used as needed,” he added.
As part of its efforts to ensure the safety and comfort of pilgrims, the Ministry of Haj has decided to assign doctors and clinics to Tawafa establishments, which take care of Haj pilgrims, during the upcoming Haj season. “The Ministry of Haj is in constant touch with the Ministry of Health to obtain all instructions and precautionary measures against the flu so that the Haj missions in various countries can instruct their pilgrims on the precautionary measures,” said Haj Minister Fouad Al-Farsy.
The government has announced its plan to develop Makkah into a beautiful modern city with modern facilities.
“The development of Makkah should be an exceptional one considering its unique position,” Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal told a UN team involved in preparing a comprehensive development plan for Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites.
Prince Khaled briefed the UN officials on the development plan for Makkah, including quality of buildings, transport means, road systems and application of modern technology in the service of pilgrims.
“The development plan for Makkah should be different from that of any other city and should protect its cultural identity,” the governor said.
The UN team will review the development plan for Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites, which is being prepared by a Canadian consultancy firm with the support of Saudi experts.