Official spokesmen of Hajj-related government bodies briefed reporters today on the preparations their authorities have made available for more than two million female and male pilgrims to stay the 8th of Zul-Hijja's night in Mina valley before moving early next day to Arafat mount to perform the peak of Hajj ritual.
Major General Mansour Al-Turki, security spokesman of the ministry of interior, said that the number of pilgrims exceeded two millions coming from inside and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, drawing the attention that the final and correct number of those who exactly attended Arafat, the climax of this optional pillar of Islam, will be announced the next day to Arafat attendance, corresponding to the Eid Al-Adh-ha sacrifice day.
Speaking to reporters, jointly with other spokesmen of different Hajj-related governmental bodies at the Public Security headquarters in Mina this evening, Al-Turki said the first phase for all pilgrims, that's reaching Saudi Arabia from everywhere and by any means of transportation, was completed.
He said they used six different means of transportation, citing five airports in Saudi Arabia, representing 88 percent, with 6 percent out of them benefited from Makkah Road initiative which was launched this year from Kualalimpur, Malaysia, and Jakarta, Indonesia, where pilgrim travelers finished their entry procedures at the departure point, one percent arrived via Jeddah port, and six percent arrived through six land inlets.
He said 50% of pilgrims go directly to Al-Madinah Al-Munawara to visit the prophet before Hajj and 50% who come a bit late prefer to perform Hajj first before going to visit their prophet later. A pilgrim is usually advised to stay five days in Al-Madina to perform 40 prayers at the prophet's mosque as per the prophet's speech.
Al-Turki said the number of pilgrims reaching Hajj zones from inside the Kingdom are estimated at 240,000 including Saudis and expatriates who obtained Hajj permits as those who could not obtain Hajj permits were driven back, he said.
Al-Turki said phase two is to help pilgrims stay the night of the 8th of Zul-Hijja month in Mina valley, as per the tradition of Prophet Mohammed when he performed Hajj, to prepare themselves for early morning flocking the next day to Arafat zone to perform Hajj, particularly attend the time from before and after sunset of the 9th of Zul-Hijja before descending to Muzdalefa valley to stay the night there on their way back to Mina to stay the Eid and the two-to-three Tashreeq days.
While in Mina, the pilgrims perform stone-throwing of the devil replicas ritual and go to Makkah to perform the main Tawaf (circumambulation around the house of God), a main ritual of Hajj and come back to Mina to complete the two-to-three days stay, he explained.
He described tomorrow's job as mainly, traffic, citing the excellent road, tunnels, bridges and flyovers infrastructure worth of billions of dollars over the years implemented by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
He said pilgrims will use four means of transportation, namely, first, pedestrians who represent 15% or around 500,000 are expected to go on foot from Mina and backward, second, train travelers and three and four bus means of transportation which are divided into two: shuttle transportation and stable hired buses which take one or two paths.
Commenting on Makkah Road initiative, Al-Turki said the Kingdom's immigration authorities are willing and ready to expand the service in the years to come to cover all countries from which pilgrims come. He summarized the service as to finalize entry airport procedures at the point of departure.
Al-Turki conveyed the standing order and warning of the security and Hajj authorities that no other activity rather than performing Hajj is allowed. Pilgrimage is pilgrimage, a pure religious ritual without increase or decrease, he put it, adding that, accordingly, political or other activities are totally embargoed.
The spokesman of the Ministry of Health Mishal Al-Rubaian said that the Health Ministry has prepared 25 hospitals and 155 health centers distributed in the holy sites with a total 5000 beds capacity for the Hajj season this year. As many as 180 ambulances, including 100 cars; mobile intensive care rooms, were provided and operating to ensure providing careness as soon as possible, he added.
The ministry's spokesman pointed out that the efforts of Health Ministry included the monitoring and immunization programs which operating 24/hours for health control in 12 land, air and sea ports border.
This program works to ensure that all pilgrims coming into Hajj's site are not infected with any epidemiological or infectious disease, and in case of infection, they are being isolated through a special path and provided with the necessary treatment until the pilgrim gets fully healthy and does not pose a danger to public health, the health ministry spokesman said.
The spokesman said that the Ministry of Health made health centers along the whole Hajj's sites and places to provide health care to any health exhibitor in a very short time, in addition to equipping the hospitals with more than 30000 medical staff; doctors, consultants, specialists, nurses, technical staff, administrators and paramedics.
The Ministry of Health Spokesman stated that the Ministry established a mobile field hospital, moving between Hajj's sites, consisting of 8 beds for intensive care.
He said that the operating plan of the Ministry of Health during this Hajj season included using technical system that shows health points and hospitals, as well as their capacity and occupancy rate.
Health Ministry Spokesman talked about the medical services provided by the hospitals of the Ministry of Health in Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites since the beginning of the arrival of the pilgrims, pointing out that 10 open heart operations, 197 cardiac catheterizations, 160 endoscopy, nine deliveries, and 500 small and major surgeries were performed, along with more than 1300 kidney dialysis were conducted through dialysis units that work around the clock to provide services to patients among pilgrims.
The official spokesman of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Hatem reviewed efforts exerted by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to serve the pilgrims, and welcomed the pilgrims who came to perform their rituals, at ease and comfort, adding that the success of the arrival of more than 750,000 pilgrims to the city of Al-Mustafa the prophet, peace be upon him, and dispatching them from Madinah to Makkah, batches, where they were transported through 21,000 buses.
He also drew attention to importance of procession to the Holy Rites, as it is the most important operational plans for all parties that supervise the service of pilgrims, noting that the bus journey will start this evening, in batches, to the neighborhoods of Makkah, to transport pilgrims of the House of God from 3191 homes, praising joint efforts and the team work spirit among all parties that have the honor to serve the pilgrims, in order to ease safely entry of buses into Mina site, and reasserting the readiness of the camps to receive the pilgrims of the House of God, at the ritual venue of Mina as well as Arafat, to complete their rituals in a good manner, while feeling secure and safe.
As many as 35% of the pilgrims travel by shuttling transport, 25% by traditional transport and the rest are either pedestrians or using the train, he stated, highlighting the important of commitment of the pilgrims to the time-table that have been agreed upon, in relation to pebble throwing, safely and smoothly to evade stampede and panic, pointing out that water coolers and refrigerators are mushrooming the holy sites, in addition to other great activities to promote services pilgrims are provided with, in accordance with the Kingdom Vision 2030.
On assignment of the task of mobilizing the pilgrims to the Hajj Security Force, the official spokesman said that the process is an integrated system, in which all participating government agencies and civil institutions, under the supervision of the principality of Makkah, in collaboration with representatives of pilgrims' agencies, whether they are from nearby countries or representatives of tourism companies, concluding that the Saudi experiment success to manage over 100,000 pilgrims, lays ground to repeating it, in other areas related to crowd management.
For his part, Media Spokesman for the General Directorate of Civil Defense, Col. Mohammed Al-Qash stressed that the efforts for civil protection has begun from the end of the last Hajj season, after analyzing and evaluating the risks and in the light of that, the next coming general plan for Hajj contingency, is drawn.
He said that the general plan includes the tasks and responsibilities of 33 bodies and that the readiness of them under supervising representatives of each party, at the emergency operations center, pointing out that the civil defense sector has set up a center for special Hajj operations equipped with modern technologies, including television monitoring network.
Functions and responsibilities of the civil defense include the civil protection work such as warning, eviction, medical evacuation, accommodation, attribution and re-establishment, indicating that the implementation of the hypotheses and exercises to ensure the readiness of the civil protection teams were implemented, in accordance with different hypotheses, especially medical evacuation, in cooperation with the sectors of the Ministry of Health, he pointed out.
Civil defense efforts exerted included safety and preventive supervision plans, in Madinah, the Holy Capital and the holy sites, in order to create an environment conducive to Hajj performance, under no pressure, at all, as well as the allocation of liaison officers, at the command and control center, at the public security and OCC room for train stations, public security and other concerned parties.
He explained that the civil defense is prepared for the pilgrimage season of this year, as specialized teams to intervene in accidents of hazardous materials and water and mountain rescue are at avail, stressing readiness to face potential dangers.
This year was coordinated in terms of volunteer work, through a coordination team, at the General Directorate of Civil Defense, with 1400 participants, 1,485 volunteers from both sexes, who will be deployed at the sites of Arafat, Muzdalifa and Mina.
Al-Qash referred to activating civil defense electronic applications such as "application of panic" to submit complaints and "applying my safety" for notification and observation regarding safety works.
For his part, Media Spokesman for the General Directorate of Civil Defense, Col. Mohammed Al-Qash stressed that the efforts for civil protection has begun from the end of the last Hajj season, after analyzing and evaluating the risks and in the light of that, the next coming general plan for Hajj contingency, is drawn.
He said that the general plan includes the tasks and responsibilities of 33 bodies and that the readiness of them under supervising representatives of each party, at the emergency operations center, pointing out that the civil defense sector has set up a center for special Hajj operations equipped with modern technologies, including television monitoring network.
Functions and responsibilities of the civil defense include the civil protection work such as warning, eviction, medical evacuation, accommodation, attribution and re-establishment, indicating that the implementation of the hypotheses and exercises to ensure the readiness of the civil protection teams were implemented, in accordance with different hypotheses, especially medical evacuation, in cooperation with the sectors of the Ministry of Health, he pointed out.
Civil defense efforts exerted included safety and preventive supervision plans, in Madinah, the Holy Capital and the holy sites, in order to create an environment conducive to Hajj performance, under no pressure, at all, as well as the allocation of liaison officers, at the command and control center, at the public security and OCC room for train stations, public security and other concerned parties.
He explained that the civil defense is prepared for the pilgrimage season of this year, as specialized teams to intervene in accidents of hazardous materials and water and mountain rescue are at avail, stressing readiness to face potential dangers.
This year was coordinated in terms of volunteer work, through a coordination team, at the General Directorate of Civil Defense, with 1400 participants, 1,485 volunteers from both sexes, who will be deployed at the sites of Arafat, Muzdalifa and Mina.
Al-Qash referred to activating civil defense electronic applications such as "application of panic" to submit complaints and "applying my safety" for notification and observation regarding safety works.
The Assistant Commander of the Hajj security forces for information and awareness Colonel Sami bin Mohammed Al-Shwerikh said that all government agencies, including the security forces of the Hajj have completed preparations, earlier, to receive guests of Allah and provide security and traffic service to pilgrims, adding that the security control centers deployed around the holy capital, are performing their tasks of ensuring that a pilgrim shall obtain the permission of Hajj, which allows him to enter the holy sites and perform Hajj.
Al- Shwerikh noted that the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has been able to harness potentials for the success of the pilgrimage season.
He pointed out that many hypotheses have been applied to the Hajj security forces, which show the readiness and the ability to execute on the plans, on the ground, stressing that the security forces and the employees of Hajj security forces are ready to implement the plans, that they have prepared to contribute to the service and safety of the pilgrims, until their departure.
Colonel Al-Shwerikh stressed that the security forces and the employees of the Hajj security forces are ready to implement the plans that they have prepared to contribute to the service and safety of the guests of Allah, from their arrival through departure.
Security authorities have taken the initiative to monitor any violation out of control or reach the level that could affect the safety of pilgrims, he said, reiterating that each participating security man carries security responsibilities, for all tasks performed to serve the pilgrims and the most important is the responsibility to take the initiative, in dealing with any violation that is monitored before it gets out of control.
Hajj security forces are working with all parties in different parts of the Kingdom to monitor, track and control the situation, at the holy sites, he stated, adding that it is worth noting that 126 falsely run Hajj offices have been monitored and their finances were seized and returned to their owners, calling for those intending to perform Hajj to pursue the set means set forth on the portals of the ministry of Hajj and other competent security departments, to avoid falling into misleading and baseless advertisements.
Saudi Red Crescent official spokesman Fahd Al-Hazmi said that the total number of participants in the pilgrimage season this year exceeded 2,600 employees, the largest segment is medical staff, including health workers, paramedics, specialists and technicians and the remaining part representing the administrative and information technology.
Red Crescent has divided operations into five areas: Holy Capital, Madinah, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, in addition to the support area.
He pointed out that the total number of emergency centers is more than 127, while more than 360 ambulances are ready, of which 127 vehicles are from the new fleet, which have been put into commission, this year, adding that advanced ambulances include 15 cars, 9 golf carts and 20 motorcycles, while 1500 volunteers, from both sexes, are participating, in Makkah, Madinah and Red Crescent centers, at the holy capital.
Al-Hazmi explained that the Red Crescent has participations through the Awareness Corner, at King Abdulaziz Airport and Jeddah Islamic Port, respectively, and Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport, in Madinah and Taif Airport.
There is also an Awareness Corner that broadcasts awareness messages and health instructions in several different languages through large screens, around the courtyard of the Grand Mosque of and in Mina centers, through which awareness messages and health instructions are broadcasted.
He pointed out that operations center operated by 45 staff working round the clock, supported by translators, in several languages to receive and deal with communications and concluded as he explained that the air ambulance services are carried out in collaboration with the security aviation, an affiliate of the State Security and Medical Evacuation, at the Ministry of Defense, with participation of five aircraft through 16 heliports, 12 of which are at the holy sites, three in Jeddah and one in Taif.
