These days the Kingdom is hosting fellow Muslims from all over the world who have come to perform Haj. In a few days, some two million will make the annual pilgrimage to Makkah. Hosting all these people from different cultural, social and economic backgrounds makes it our duty to extend to them the kind of treatment that will make them feel comfortable and allow them to perform their religious duties in peace and return home with vivid memories of the country and its people.
Having worked for several years in the ever-expanding Haj hospitality sector in different areas and locations, I can say that dedicated efforts are being made to ensure the safety and comfort of the pilgrims. This, however, does not mean we should not make more serious efforts as well as constantly evaluating and improving ourselves.
Pilgrims are tourists who are visiting a foreign country. They want to know more about the country they are visiting. The desire becomes even stronger when they are visiting a country that contains Islam’s two holiest places.
Pilgrims would like to know something about the country’s history, geography, economy, customs, traditions, historical sites, monuments and antiquities as well as its laws. To find out these things, they need well-qualified guides who can provide the necessary information.
Haj is not an ordinary journey. It takes the life savings of some to be able to make the journey which is required of every Muslim once in a lifetime. It is thus the right of the visitor to have someone accompanying and guiding them throughout their stay.
It is encouraging to see some of our young people doing this, dedicating their time and energy to serving the pilgrims by accompanying them on their travels, showing them directions and advising them on what to do when faced with a problem. It is part of an ambitious program known as the pilgrim’s guidance and escort project and has been designed by the advisory board of the tawafa organization. Thousands of young Saudis have benefited from the program and many have gained a great deal of experience on how to handle Haj affairs. It is this, and many other similar service projects, that should make us proud.
