Two Saudi electricians have recorded 30 years of service this year at the holy sites for the Haj, during which they had to deal with major challenges including fires and flooding.

Mohammed Ali Rafie and Adel bin Khalil Roas said recently that they are proud to have been able to serve the guests of God in this capacity in Mina, mostly at the operations control center, for the Saudi Electricity Company.

Rafie, the emergency supervisor of medium voltage units, said his job is to supervise the electricity provision systems for Makkah and the holy sites alongside fellow citizens and foreign workers.

He is also involved in training many Saudis, which has helped to ensure that the company has an 85 percent Saudization rate. Many of the technicians and engineers he started out with are now in senior management positions at the company today. He started out as a technician and is now a distribution specialist.

Of the many challenges that he faced with his colleagues over the years, the heavy rain during the Haj of 2004 stands out. The subsequent flooding resulted in major power cuts at the holy sites, especially in the central areas of Makkah.

“I remember all the engineers and field technicians in the operations section coming together to assist because we knew we had to be united to overcome those difficulties,” Rafie recalled with tears in his eyes. By coordinating their actions, they were able to restore the power in less than five hours, despite the difficult conditions, he said.

A positive outcome of that year's flooding saw the company shift its focus more onto safety measures. He said workers are now better trained and equipped to deal with emergency situations.

Rafie said that he is the first person to report to the operations and control room in Mina before the pilgrimage season begins, and is the last to leave after it ends. He said Mina is deserted and it is hard to imagine the place was so crowded a few hours before.

Roas, the emergency supervisor of the low voltage units, who works in the same operations and control center in Mina, also has beautiful memories of the past 30 years of service. He said Saudis have played a critical role in the provision of electricity services over the years at the holy sites.

Roas said that the company does not allow any pilgrim to set foot in Mina or the other holy sites without ensuring the systems are functioning safely and properly. He said teams start working in these areas as early as Shawwal to prepare for the Haj.

He said the most difficult situation for him was the fire in 1996 in Mina, which resulted in about 75 percent of the camps being burnt down and a major part of the company's equipment damaged. He said he distinctly recalls the role of the emergency teams helping to restore electricity within 24 hours.

The two men said that Mina is so quiet after the Haj that they are only left with the sound of the equipment humming in the background. It leaves them with the feeling of a job well done. They are proud to be part of a company that has helped to make the Haj such a success over so many years.