MAKKAH: Office No. 23 of the Tawafa Organization for South Asian Pilgrims introduced a number of innovative programs during this Haj season to achieve distinction in pilgrim services, said Talal Mahboub, chief of the office.

“The services being provided by the office to pilgrims have improved considerably in recent years, especially this year,” Mahboub told Arab News. “We extended services with a team spirit in coordination with other offices,” he said.

He said the office had exerted intensive efforts to ensure smooth flow of pilgrims between the holy sites. “We had also made arrangements for their quick transportation to Madinah.”

“Our office had worked hard this year to achieve distinction in services being extended to the guests of God since their arrival at the Kingdom’s entry points,” he said. In every bus carrying pilgrims it had appointed a guide holding a map of Makkah.

Soon after the arrival of pilgrims at the office’s headquarters in Makkah, officials were assigned to provide them with accommodation, first aid and other necessary services.

Office No. 23 took care of pilgrims from Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Speaking about the arrangements made by the office to treat the pilgrims, Mahboub said: “We contacted the Haj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport to know the time of their arrival. A group of officials were then assigned to receive them at the airport.”

The pilgrims were given snacks soon after their arrival at the office’s headquarters and before they were provided accommodation.

“We had established a shelter center to accommodate pilgrims in emergency situations. It was used for pilgrims to take rest in case their buses became out of order. In such occasions, pilgrims were also served hot meals with cool or hot drinks,” he explained.

The office had set up a training and development center, named after Dr. Rashad Hussein, to train administrators and other officials.

“We had also worked to enhance religious awareness of pilgrims through SMS messages and distributing booklets. Our women’s team organized seminars and other awareness programs,” he added.

Mahboub also spoke about the special forum organized by the Tawafa Organization for South Asian Pilgrims where pilgrim guides compete with one another by presenting their successful Haj service experiences.

“The forum encouraged the guides to improve their services to pilgrims,” he said.