Disabled and elderly pilgrims praised Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah here Saturday for the temporary bridge over the mataf area that has made it easier for them to circumambulate the Kaaba.

President of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais inaugurated the 12-meter-wide and 13-meter-high circular bridge on Thursday.

The temporary bridge would soon be expanded to two levels. The top level currently connects to the first floor of the Grand Mosque, while the lower level will be connected to the ground floor. The mataf expansion is expected to be completed by 2015.

“I like the new bridge,” said Kerim Ahmet, an elderly Turkish pilgrim who performed tawaf in a wheelchair on the bridge. “It makes it easier for pilgrims to circle the Kaaba without the fear of being knocked by a wheelchair from behind.”

“I appreciate this brilliant move by the Saudi authorities to ease the tawaf,” said Mohammed Akbar, a Sri Lankan pilgrim. “Keeping wheelchairs away from those performing tawaf on foot will automatically make it easy and quick.”

Umm Salama, a Saudi pilgrim, also praised the temporary bridge and welcomed the expansion taking place at the Grand Mosque. “I want to thank King Abdullah and the Saudi authorities for such an important decision.”

“The temporary bridge is an excellent idea for the elderly and disabled until the expansion is completely finished,” said Saad Maari, an Egyptian pilgrim. Maari pushed his 7-year-old physically challenged son Omar in a wheelchair on the bridge to complete his tawaf.

Abdullah, a young Saudi volunteer pushing a wheelchair, expressed joy at being able to help the elderly and disabled. “It lets me complete the tawaf and adds to my rewards for helping those in need.”

In earlier reports, the Central Haj Committee, led by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, stated that about 5 million pilgrims are expected to perform Umrah this Ramadan.

The report also stated that nearly 5 million foreign pilgrims have so far arrived in the Kingdom this year to perform Umrah, adding that 400,000 of them are still in Makkah and Madinah.