“On the basis of reports received from the field either remotely or appearing on the large screens connected to cameras in the holy sites and Makkah, the center takes appropriate action and issues orders,” said the control room’s commander Maj. Gen. Muhammad Al-Shahri.
“The center is a 24-hour hub of all security activities going on in the holy sites.”
He added that if a report about traffic congestion or something impeding pedestrian movement is received, then immediately traffic police are alerted. If the report is about anything that involves a crime the police are alerted.
The control room also tracks the locations where pilgrims crowd and closely watches and issues directives to security officers to take preemptive action if there is a chance of dangerous situations such as stampedes happening, he said.
The Jamarat Bridge in particular is closely monitored.
“The center's computer section maintains an archives section where all the information required by workers in the center and field is stored. The center also has a section to receive reports related to pilgrims' needs,” the commander said.
“In short, the most important function of the center is to coordinate between all security departments. It also receives and analyzes information in addition to supplying statistics on various Haj-related matters.”
Anyone who needs the assistance of the center's control room need only ring 987, he said.
All incoming telephone reports are registered automatically and classified as traffic, humanitarian or criminal accordingly in a computer system. Then the computer passes the report to the concerned section for appropriate action, he said.
Reports are registered manually by an official and then passed to the appropriate sections for action, he said.
Reports from the crowd detection system on the Jamarat Bridge and aerial surveillance units are also analyzed at the center, he said.
He said the control center has implemented a digital mapping system of the holy sites and Makkah during the current Haj season.
“Nearly 1,500 television cameras cover all important locations, including the Grand Mosque, holy sites and the Jamarat Bridge and continuously send images, giving a clear picture of crowd movement and other developments,” he said.
He added that cameras are regularly checked and maintained properly.
“The activities on the Jamarat are tracked on an exclusive console. The cameras that track the movement of the Mashair trains are linked to a special console in the control room. A special hot line is also installed to deal with issues related to the train service,” he said.
The center also collects statistics on vehicles in the holy sites and on the roads leading there, he said.
