MAKKAH: The Central Haj Committee discussed on Saturday arrangements made by government departments to ensure pilgrims are able to perform Haj with ease, security and comfort.
“With pilgrims beginning to arrive via air, land and sea, plans and arrangements made by all those concerned with Haj services should be well executed and reinforced with sufficient manpower and material resources,” said Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, chairman of the Central Haj Committee.
He said that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan, Second Deputy Premier Prince Naif, who is also minister of interior and chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, have called for pilgrims to be provided with the best of services.
“The directives are aimed at exerting maximum efforts and mobilizing all potential to enable pilgrims to perform the Haj and visit the Prophet’s Mosque with complete ease and comfort,” he said.
Prince Khaled praised efforts made during last year’s Haj and called for better services this year. He also praised the level of cooperation and coordination among all involved parties.
The meeting discussed the preparations and plans made by the Makkah municipality, the Ministry of Haj, the King Abdul Aziz International Airport, the Department of Health Affairs in Makkah, the Directorate General of Water, the Passport Department, the police and the Civil Defense.
Meanwhile, Prince Khaled on Saturday met with Director of Boys Education Bakr bin Ibrahim Basfar and Director of Girls Education Hamid bin Jaber Al-Sulami who presented him with two reports about schools in the region. The reports included details regarding staff, textbooks, the opening of new schools in the region and precautionary measures taken against the spread of H1N1 virus.
Al-Sulami said not a single confirmed case of swine flu was registered in any school in Makkah. “There were suspected cases which were dealt with on the spot,” he added.
— With input from Hamid Al-Sulami
