“Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif has approved our Haj plan,” said Lt. Gen. Saad bin Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri, director general of the department.

“The Civil Defense’s general Haj plan aims to take all precautions for the safety and protection of pilgrims and citizens from accidents and catastrophes as well as to safeguard public and private properties, in coordination with related departments,” he said.

Al-Tuwaijri said his officers would conduct 12 drills on tackling possible dangerous situations during the Haj season. “Our officers will also take into consideration possible dangers other than what had occurred in the past Haj seasons,” he said.

The department will have more than 450 centers in Makkah and other holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah.

Al-Tuwaijri commended the government’s efforts to ensure the security and safety of some 2.5 million pilgrims by mobilizing its human and material resources. “Managing these huge numbers of pilgrims with different educational and cultural backgrounds and speaking different languages is not an easy task,” he said.

He urged all Civil Defense officers taking part in this year’s Haj operation to be aware of their great responsibility. “You are doing a great job to ensure the security and safety of the guests of God and help them perform their religious duty,” he said and urged them to exert maximum efforts in the service of pilgrims.

The Haj is expected to start on Nov. 4 and nearly a million pilgrims have already arrived from abroad to take part in the annual event.

National carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines said it would operate 1,244 flights to bring in pilgrims from different parts of the world and 1,153 flights to fly them back to their home countries after Haj.

“All Saudia departments and strategic units are working full swing to extend the best possible services to pilgrims,” said Abdullah Al-Ajhar, vice president of public relations. “We have rented 34 aircraft to support our fleet for the huge Haj operation,” he added.

The Saudi Arabian Scouts Society said it would send more than 3,000 scouts on Haj service. “We have set up camps in Makkah and holy sites, which are provided with medical and health facilities,” said Saleh Al-Harbi, commander of the camps.

He said the scouts would help patients and stranded pilgrims, and support the municipality to monitor price rises. The society will have camps in Madinah and land and sea entry points.