I am delighted to read the report “Haram workers start training to improve communication skills” (Feb. 3). This is a very nice move on part of the authorities. It is very importance to help the Haram workers hone their communication skills, as they have to deal with hundreds of pilgrims on a daily basis. Importance must be given to the English language, as it is the international language and could easily be termed as the lingua franca. This will greatly help facilitate the Umrah and Haj pilgrims. At times they are left in a lurch and find nobody to give him or her proper guidance. Obviously, most of them are new to Makkah and sometimes find it difficult even to perform the Umrah rituals.

In such a situation, Haram workers with good communication skills could prove to be great help to such people. In addition to English, the government must ensure that the Haram workers are trained in different languages like Urdu, French and Persian. This will help remove the communication barrier and will facilitate the pilgrims to a great extent. Obviously, these workers are not required to gain native proficiency of the foreign languages, as only working knowledge of various languages will be more than enough to perform their duties effectively. In short, this is a very timely decision and should be implemented at the earliest.

Anees Lokhande

Alkhobar