MADINAH, 25 January 2005 — With pilgrims streaming into Madinah from Makkah in the post-Haj season, Madinah Governor Prince Muqrin ordered the authorities concerned to coordinate their arrival and work around the clock for the comfort of the visitors.
Hotel bookings in the central area around the Prophet’s Mosque are expected to peak in the next two days as more pilgrims arrive in the holy city.
According to statistics of pilgrims leaving Makkah, more than 31,000 Hajis left the holy city aboard 502 buses on Sunday alone. Out of these, 402 buses were bound for Madinah.
The news of pilgrims arriving in Madinah came as a relief to many people.
Despite heavy rains, which hit Madinah two days ago, the governor declared the city ready to receive pilgrims and that there are no threats of floods.
Prince Muqrin visited many parts of Madinah, which were hit hard by floods. He visited Al-Khaleel and Erwa dams and listened to detailed explanation from officials on the situation of the neighborhoods and rescue operations.
Prince Muqrin offered his condolences to the families of those killed by floods in villages around Madinah.
He said, “There are citizens who insist on driving in valleys after heavy rains, ignoring the threat of flash floods. These citizens should be aware of the problems and avoid driving in these areas when there is a threat of floods”.
Prince Muqrin promised immediate assistance to families affected by the flooding.
Extra safety measures were taken to make sure that there would be no trouble when pilgrims start arriving in Madinah.
Meanwhile, citizens of Madinah and business owners are getting ready to receive pilgrims. Hassan Al-Oufi, a businessman, said, “We warmly welcome pilgrims arriving from Makkah and on their way to their countries from Madinah. Most of these pilgrims are Iraqi, Syrian, Turkish and Iranian. This is a good season for us because when pilgrims left to Makkah, visitors began arriving from Jeddah, Makkah and Riyadh. Now that the local visitors are returning to their hometowns, we get ready to receive post-Haj pilgrim visitors”.
Deefallah Al-Harbi said, “When pilgrims arrive that means additional income for us. We take visitors to our city’s different parts and historical sites. We will be very busy with them until they depart safely to their countries.”
He said it was a profitable business to take first-time visitors to Madinah around the historical places. “We care more about showing them everything they want to see in Madinah more than we care about how much we are going to earn,” Al-Harbi said.
