“I got into the Tawafa business through my father and grandfathers. I became a Mutawwif when I was 14 years old,” the head of field service office No. 59 said.

Danish added that his office last year came up with a new initiative to receive pilgrims at the Pilgrims’ Guidance and Grouping Center on the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway.

He said the office has well-equipped field teams who have stationed themselves at the center to welcome their pilgrims and transport them to Makkah. “This will reduce congestion at the center,” he pointed out.

Danish said his office has also this year established a women’s section to guide women pilgrims in Arabic and Urdu and visit them in case they are admitted to hospital. “If the establishment permits the permanent appointment of female Mutawwifs, our office will be the first to employ them,” he promised.

He said a representative of the Haj mission would inform them about accommodation reserved in Makkah for their pilgrims.

“Forty-eight hours before the arrival of pilgrims, we check the buildings and make sure that they are well prepared,” he said.

Danish said his office has equipped the buildings with computers so that pilgrims can carry out their business and communicate with their families back home.

“Any pilgrim who wants a computer inside his own room will be provided with one free of charge, but he or she will have to return it to us by the end of the pilgrimage,” he said.

He revealed that his office has also for the first time this year sent stickers to pilgrims to put on their luggage before they leave so that it is not lost when they arrive in Saudi Arabia.

“The stickers contain the name of the pilgrim, the number of his room, the address of his building, the logo of the office, the name of the Mutawwif, his address and telephone number,” he said.

Danish said these stickers would be put on each piece of luggage so that it is easily picked up when the pilgrim arrives in Jeddah and easily found in case of loss.

He said they have prepared a program for the pilgrims to allow them two days of rest after they arrive in Makkah, after which the office will visit them at their accommodation to welcome them again and to provide them with some guidance on how to perform Haj correctly.

He recalled that the first batch of pilgrims to arrive in his office was from India. “We welcomed them and celebrated the Kingdom’s National Day with them amid an atmosphere of happiness and joviality,” he added.