The Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP) is ready to take on the return journey of over 18,000 Haj pilgrims, most of them from Egypt and Sudan.

Capt. Saher Tahlawi, director general of JIP, told Arab News that as of now, two or more daily trips had been scheduled, with the number likely to touch 34 in the coming days.

He said there was perfect coordination between various departments in the port to facilitate ferrying of pilgrims, offer them the best possible services, and help them complete their procedures in record time. Buses have also been readied to transport pilgrims to JIP, he added.

The Ministry of Haj has worked out a comprehensive plan for the departing guests of God, under the leadership of Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar. More than 70 employees have been temporarily deployed to help ease the mounting pressure during this time of year. A number of ministry employees have also been deputed to work in the port in the service of the pilgrims.

He said the ministry was supervising all services offered by the United Agents Office and the General Syndicate of Cars for the Hajis who came by ships from the time they arrived until their departure.

Col. Mohammad Al-Wadi’, director of the Port’s Passport Office, said preparations in the port had been completed. More than 28 computer systems and 10 fingerprint devices had been installed for speedy processing of documents. Besides, fraud detectors had also been installed, which are operated by officers and specialists in the field.

He stressed that there was a coordinated approach between the JIP administration, the Ministry of Haj and travel agents to secure information about arrival dates of various journeys. The aim is to serve pilgrims and offer all possible means for their comfort and safety, he said.

The Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO), in downtown Jeddah, is packed with domestic pilgrims returning to their hometowns and workplaces, as also foreign pilgrims traveling by land. Hundreds of pilgrims stood in long queues waiting for a seat on the buses.

The yards of the company’s station had large numbers of citizens and residents from Al-Kaddadah, and with traffic congestion on the adjacent road, traffic police had to move in to organize vehicular movement.

The director of Jeddah Traffic Police, Brig. Waslallah Al-Harbi, said his directorate implemented a new traffic plan, which also took into consideration the reopening of schools after Eid Al-Adah holidays. More than 30 patrol cars and 60 officers have been pressed into service to deal with traffic snarls particularly during peak hours.