MAKKAH, 27 December 2006 — Government agencies responsible for guaranteeing a safe and comfortable Haj have completed all arrangements to welcome the pilgrims to the holy sites of Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat. The pilgrims will move to Mina tomorrow at the beginning of the six-day Haj rituals.
Lt. Gen. Saeed ibn Abdullah Al-Qahtani, director of the public security in Makkah, said the Ministry of Interior with all its branches for security operations was keen on upgrading its capabilities each year on the basis of the experience gained in the previous year.
“The ministry has this year set up a central command in Mina in addition to a new security department for the crowd management at the Al-Jamrat Bridge,” he said.
Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said that the first phase of the Jamrat Bridge had been completed. “This phase is viewed as the most difficult part of its construction because it serves as the foundation for the higher levels that will hold huge numbers of pilgrims in coming years.”
Al-Turki said there are two entry points to the area on the upper level of the bridge where pilgrims will throw pebbles at the three pillars representing Satan in a symbolic act denouncing evil. One entrance is from the northeast and the other from the southeast while the entry point to the ground level is between the two. The pedestrian roads leading to the stone throwing area have to be managed with special care, he said. Pilgrims will be allowed to move only in one direction toward the Jamrat in order to ensure safety. No movement in the reverse direction will be allowed.
Acting Mayor of Makkah Ahmad Bayezid said that his office dedicated all its human and material resources to the service of the guests of Allah.
The mayor’s office had recruited 20,000 people into various service sectors. More than 7,000 cleaning staff will be working round the clock with the help of 659 machines. A special task force with 6,006 workers and 619 machines has been readied to meet any emergency situation.
The massive volume of garbage will be temporarily stored in Mina using 900 high-pressure garbage compressing machines capable of handling 13,000 tons of waste a day and operate in conjunction with 131 ground garbage handling centers. This is in addition to 15 garbage-compressing units in Arafat.
Municipal officials will also step up inspection of food outlets to guarantee that the food sold in the holy site is hygienic. They will also check on conditions at barbershops in Mina where pilgrims will do the ritual shaving of their heads.
Municipal inspection teams will also monitor activities at the slaughterhouses to ensure that the animals are free from diseases.
