MAKKAH, 10 September 2007 — Authorities in Makkah expect a safe and smooth Ramadan and say that, following the orders of higher authorities, they have made preparations to ensure visitors are able to perform their pilgrimages and prayers in ease and comfort.
Sheikh Salih ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Husain, chief of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs, said that this year’s Ramadan preparation plans have been carried out under the supervision of Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who is also head of the Central Haj Committee.
“Our aim is to create a spiritual and comfortable environment at the Grand Mosque. To achieve this we have made sure everything is ready, prepared and organized inside and outside the mosque,” said Al-Husain, adding that they made arrangements to control the flow of people at entrances to the prayer complex.
Al-Husain said that his department is focusing on the guiding, advising and serving of visitors. “There are teams that are following up on projects that are now running at the Grand Mosque. These include the expansion of the Masa’a area and the construction of the of Ajyad Bridge, which would make easy access for the mosque’s first floor from the southern areas around the mosque,” he said.
Al-Husain said a new fan system would also be tried at the mosque this year and that they have increased the number of signs to help visitors. “We have also allocated medical clinics inside the Grand Mosque in case of emergencies,” he said.
Jamil Arbain, head of Civil Defense, said that his department would be working around the clock to ensure the safety and security of visitors. “There are 387 teams that specialize in dealing with different emergencies and are equipped with necessary machinery and equipment,” he said.
More than 250 officers would be at the Grand Mosque. “Another 22 teams would be making field inspections around hotels and apartments to ensure they are following rules, and five other teams are available at different places to ensure things run smoothly and safely,” he said.
According to Arbain, motorbikes are available in the central area in case of emergencies. “We have allocated 80 digital screens in and around the Grand Mosque. Five are inside. These are there to send relevant messages to the public,” he said, adding that pilgrims will also be handed brochures. “Nearly 120 officials and 3,000 members of the Civil Defense will be working to make this Ramadan a safe and secure one,” he said.
In the same context, Turki ibn Ibrahim Al-Ganawi, head of Makkah police, said his men are working around the year to maintain a safe and secure environment. “We have set up a plan to help visitors worship in a comfortable environment. Unfortunately, some people try taking advantage of these peak times. We have already arrested 422 thieves and broke up 146 gangs that were involved in other crimes,” he said.
Ayed Al-Lugmani, head of the Passport Department in Makkah, said that his department has held training courses for officials. “We have also increased field inspections to keep an eye on all workers and arrest overstayers. We have started out the fingerprint system, which would prevent people from overstaying their visas,” he said.
Dr. Khaled Al-Sumairi, head of Medical Affairs in Makkah, said his department has also made full preparation for Ramadan. “We have increased the number of workers at different hospitals and the number of beds. These hospitals include King Abdul Aziz Hospital, King Faisal Hospital, Ajyad General Hospital, Maternity and Children’s Hospital, Al-Nour Specialist Hospital, Hira General Hospital, four clinics around the central area and 30 clinics in other parts of Makkah,” he said, adding that these hospitals and clinics work around the clock even during the weekend.
Al-Sumairi said that the department has allocated SR900,000 to increase the number of workers around the Grand Mosque during Ramadan.
The Anti-Beggary Department has also set up a plan to prevent people from begging. Department head Mansour Al-Hazmi said they have increased the number of officials to monitor the problem. “We study the cases of Saudi beggars and transfer them to charity organizations to provide them with support. Children caught begging are also transferred to different children care shelters to help them,” he said.
According to Ibrahim Al-Najar, head of Saudi Scouts at Makkah’s Education Department, 350 scouts would be working at the Grand Mosque for various charity organizations. “Another 50 Scouts will be helping out at the Red Crescent,” he said.
More than 2,000 traffic officials will be on duty monitoring traffic during the holy month. Ahmad Nashi Al-Utaibi, head of the Traffic Department, said plans have been made to send cars to different car parks. The Al-Rusaifa car park will be for people coming off the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway, the Al-Zahir car park for those coming from Madinah, the Al-Sharai car park for people coming from Taif, the Kudai car park for those coming from Laith, and the Al-Jamarat area for those coming through the Al-Awali road.
“We have made arrangements with the Saudi Public Transportation Company (SAPTCO) to provide sufficient busses to transfer people from car parks to the Grand Mosque,” he said.
Makkah Mayor Osama Al-Bar said a system has been developed to keep the area around the Grand Mosque clean. “We have field inspectors to ensure food on sale is healthy and fit for consumption. We have also increased the number of cleaners to 5,716. They will be working around the clock in shifts. There are other teams in place that will use equipment to keep pests under control,” he said, adding that food on sale will be examined at a laboratory.
Al-Bar also said that mutual cooperation among all governmental departments is essential in making the Umrah season a successful one.
