JEDDAH, 4 December 2006 — Six buildings are being constructed on the mountains around Mina in order to provide accommodation to the increasing number of pilgrims who come for Haj. The first phase of the project will be ready for use by pilgrims during this Haj season.
“Three floors in each of these six buildings will be used for the accommodation of pilgrims during this Haj season,” said Sayyed Bahrawi, deputy director of the project. Each building is designed to have 15 floors with three of them set aside for essential services. He said each floor would have 10 rooms with four toilets.
“There will be one room for the handicapped with a special toilet,” he added. Each floor will have a total area of 1,200 square meters and each room will have a space of 36 square meters.
About 5,000 employees have been working around the clock for the last seven months in order to complete the first phase before Haj. The project is financed by the state-owned General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) and Pension Fund.
The ground floor in all buildings will be used for reception while the second and third floors will have mosques, kitchens and first aid services. Every building will have four electric lifts. The buildings will be provided with early warning systems, smoke and fire detectors and central air conditioning systems.
“We will start the second phase soon after Haj,” Bahrawi said.
Suleiman Al-Humaid, governor of GOSI, said his organization had decided to go ahead with the project after receiving approval from higher authorities. “We have already signed an agreement with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs for the project,” he said.
This year’s Haj is expected to begin on Dec. 29 when many of an estimated 2.5 million pilgrims will start flocking to the Mina Valley.
Saudi Arabia has stepped up preparations for the Haj. Authorities have urged both Saudis and expatriates to obtain Haj permits through private Haj service firms. Those who fail to obtain permits will be sent back. The Passport Department has opened 70 outlets across the Kingdom to issue Haj permits. The last date to receive applications is Dec. 21.
The government has erected some 44,000 air-conditioned and fire-resistant canvas tents on the plains of Mina.
The high-tech fiberglass teflon-coated shelters are equipped with sprinklers, air coolers and fire extinguishers. The project has been implemented in three phases at a cost of SR2.4 billion.
