JEDDAH, 25 December 2005 — A record number of pilgrims from outside Saudi Arabia is expected for Haj this season as Maj. Gen. Salim Al-Belaihed, head of the Directorate General for Passports, said more than 622,000 pilgrims have already arrived for the annual event, which begins on Jan. 8.
Saudi authorities have intensified their preparations for Haj following instructions of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who has urged all public and private agencies to mobilize their full resources for the welfare and security of pilgrims.
“As many as 622,510 pilgrims have arrived from abroad by Friday,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted Belaihed as saying. “Of these pilgrims 606,191 came by air, 9,912 by land and 6,407 by sea,” the passport department chief said.
Makkah Governor and Chairman of the Central Haj Committee Prince Abdul Majeed will inspect on Monday the Haj Terminal at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, the main gateway of pilgrims.
Abdullah Ruhaimy, president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, said the authority’s plan to receive the pilgrims was progressing well.
“We prepare our Haj plan in the light of our experiences in the past seasons,” he said.
Ruhaimy said the Jeddah airport receives more than 65 percent of pilgrims who come for Haj from outside the Kingdom.
“During peak days of the season we receive a Haj flight every two minutes,” he said.
He said the Haj Terminal could accommodate nearly 55,000 pilgrims at a time. “It’s like a full-fledged city where all services and amenities required by pilgrims are available,” he added.
Ruhaimy added that the governor would inspect the new bus parking station, the baggage-weighing area, the joint operations room and the Haj operations center. He will also receive a number of pilgrims and distribute gifts to them, and meet with officials to review progress of work at the terminal.
More and more flights carrying pilgrims from different parts of the world are arriving at the Jeddah airport every hour.
The first caravan of Palestinian pilgrims has already crossed the Jordan border on their way to Makkah. Ahmed Abdul Rahman, head of the pilgrims authority in the West Bank, praised Saudi Arabia’s efforts in the service of pilgrims and its support for the Palestinian cause.
The Saudi government has taken a series of measures to ensure the security and safety of pilgrims. It has expanded the Jamrat, where pilgrims perform their stoning ritual. Makkah Mayor Khaled Nahhas yesterday signed contracts worth SR4.5 million to establish drainage systems to prevent flooding in case rainfalls.
Tens of thousands of foreign pilgrims arrived in Madinah to pray at the Prophet’s Mosque before heading for Makkah to perform Haj. Hasan Al-Bakry, director general of the Haj Ministry’s office in Madinah, said his office was providing a variety of services for the welfare of pilgrims.
“We coordinate with other departments to organize the transportation and accommodation of pilgrims in the holy city,” Al-Bakry said, adding that some 5,000 officials, including employees of Tawafa organizations, were involved in implementing the ministry’s Haj plan in Madinah.
