MAKKAH, 7 September 2007 — Steps are being taken to stamp out annoying violations such as street selling, begging, photographing and smoking in the courtyards of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, particularly in Ramadan.
“These are serious violations, which demand the cooperation of all the people to combat them,” Ahmad ibn Ibrahim Sharia, director of the Courtyards Administration of the Holy Mosque, told Arab News.
The Courtyards Administration is a subsidiary of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, and is tasked with maintaining the security and cleanliness of the 88,000-square meter courtyard surrounding the prayer complex.
The administration is responsible for making the area free from beggars, street sellers and other activities.
“We keep a round-the-clock watch on the activities going on in the courtyards. The task is particularly tough during the Haj and Ramadan seasons,” said Sharia.
Commenting on steps being taken to stop people smoking, begging and street-selling — particularly by people of different nationalities — the official said, “Such practices are no longer found in the courtyard, as the officials of the administration are keeping a constant watch over the area both day and night.
“However, some of the bad practices are detected at some locations close to the courtyard but not on the courtyard. It is the duty of every pilgrim and visitor to the Haram to cooperate in stamping out such evil practices.”
Speaking about the need to systematize the distribution of food at the time of breaking fast in Ramadan, the official said a committee has been set up for this under the orders of Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal.
The committee issues licenses to charities to supply food to worshippers. He added that there are other official committees that supervise the supply of food and the allocation of convenient locations for distribution.
There are 150 supervisors and 200 workers in the administration to look after the courtyards, he said. Around 160 temporary workers are recruited during the Haj, Ramadan and summer seasons. Additional workers include security guards and female supervisors, he said.
Sharia said the administration welcomes observations, criticism and suggestions to improve the level of service offered by its employees, who are advised to be gentle and polite when dealing with pilgrims.
The workers are regularly given training at the Institute of Management and Workers at the Umm Al-Qura University with this objective in mind, said Sharia. In his view the most difficult problem faced by the administration is the handling of street-sellers on the edges of Grand Mosque’s courtyards. One of them even attacked and injured a supervising official last week, he said.
