Makkah governor vows to boost pilgrim services

Saudi academics and businessmen have welcomed the appointment of Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah as the new Makkah governor and urged him to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal by continuing to expand and upgrade the holy city.
This comes as Prince Mishaal issued his first statement after his appointment. “I’m proud to serve this great country … I consider it a great honor to take on this responsibility of serving the Grand Mosque and pilgrims,” he said.
He thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Salman for showing confidence in him and asked Allah Almighty to help him carry out his duties.
“I’m looking forward to working with the people of Makkah. I will dedicate myself to implementing the king’s policies and plans for the development of the holy city, expand facilities and improve services for pilgrims,” the prince said, while praising Prince Khaled for his work in the city.
Mohammed Badahdah, assistant secretary general of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, said Prince Mishaal had a great responsibility because he was tasked with providing services for Muslims from all over the world.
“Makkah is not like other regions of the Kingdom. It has the Grand Mosque and the holy places of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah that are highly valued by Muslims all over the world,” he told Arab News. “We expect the new governor to improve Haj and pilgrim services,” he said.
Badahdah called on the governor to set up special panels of highly qualified people in all areas to advise him. “These panels should convey to the governor what the common people are looking for and what areas need development.”
Saad Al-Qurashi, president of the Haj and Umrah Committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said Prince Mishaal has many important projects to handle including the expansion of the Grand Mosque and holy sites, the development of underdeveloped residential districts, and the expansion of the Mashair Railway. He disclosed plans to establish an exhibition center along the Makkah-Jeddah Highway to showcase products made in Makkah.
Hassan Al-Ahdal, secretary general of the International Media Organization based in Makkah, expressed hope that the young and energetic governor would continue Prince Khaled’s efforts to modernize the city, and realize the hopes and aspirations of all Muslims. “I also wish that the new governor implements all the ongoing projects in Makkah and the holy sites as quickly as possible to improve services.”
Mansour Aburayash, chairman of the real estate committee at the Makkah chamber, called on Prince Mishaal to remove obstacles facing investors in the city. “We have to prepare a roadmap to welcome the increasing number of pilgrims, especially after the completion of the Haram expansion.”
He said the city should provide investors with statistics on the yearly growth in pilgrim numbers, so that they could invest with confidence in hotels and other real estate projects. He said investors suffered big losses this year because of the 20 percent cut in the number of foreign Haj pilgrims. He disclosed plans to establish 3,000 new hotels in Sharashif and Dahlat Rushd after demolishing 12,000 old buildings in the area.