“I became a Mutawwif when I was only eight years old,” he said, adding that his first assignment as a Mutawwif was to bury a pilgrim who died during the Haj.

“I love the trade because it involves helping people perform the fifth pillar of Islam. This year, I will be serving pilgrims from Pakistan, India, the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan,” he said.

Mahboob said his office has established a special committee to promote services for pilgrims in Makkah and the Holy Sites. “We have replaced the old tents in Mina with new ones that are four square meters as specified by the Ministry of Rural and Municipal Affairs; we have also furnished them with Saudi-made luxurious rugs,” he said. Mahboob said the tents will be supplied with all necessary furniture and IT devices. He also said that, for the first time ever, tents will have a small station to purify and sterilize water. “The water will be put in small coolers and thermoses that are three meters by two. We will not use bottles which occupy lots of space,” he said.

He said his office will be providing hot and cold drinks free of charge to pilgrims throughout the day and night, in addition to breakfasts in Mina and Arafat, and a dry meal in Muzdalifah.

Mahboob said they will also install an electric water boiler to provide tents with hot water. “We have placed two barrels with a capacity to hold a ton of hot water each. The two barrels can be used by pilgrims who have no kitchens. They are heat insulated so people do not burn themselves if they touch them,” he said.