The women of Makkah broke into the male bastion of Zamazemah this Haj season to provide pilgrims with Zamzam water and other facilities right at their doorstep through an elegant and sophisticated work system bringing to an end men’s decades-old monopoly of the profession.

The women performed a significant role through the formation of women’s committees that were established at the offices of the Zamazemah United Office. Besides offering Zamzam water, they also arranged hospital visits for women pilgrims undergoing treatment in the holy city.

Nawak Kappli, head of the women’s committee at the United Office said that the women were working on implementing the objectives of the office.

“Zamazemah United Office aims to provide Zamzam water to the pilgrim at his doorstep without his needing to go anywhere. Women pilgrims will now no longer have to crowd at Zamzam water outlets to get water. This will also help us to eliminate the black market in the sales of Zamzam water by female violators,” said Kappli.

The Zamazemah United Office is one of many sectors set up to serve pilgrims. Its mission involves serving the guests of God from the moment they set foot in the Kingdom until they leave according to modern technological plans and mechanisms.

The office receives pilgrims at the awareness centers where they are offered a 320mm plastic bottle of cool fresh water. The office also sends one liter of water to the pilgrims’ lodging, and offers them the same volume of bottled water as a gift when they leave.

Zamazemah is a traditional profession handed down the generations and inherited by 120 families of Makkah keen on offering Zamzam water to pilgrims free of charge.