The holy sites in Saudi Arabia are gearing up to receive over 2 million pilgrims during the Hajj Season 2024.
According the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), tents have been equipped with all the necessary needs that enable pilgrims to perform Hajj rituals with ease and comfort.
To this end, the relevant government and civil sectors are putting their efforts to implement the operational plans, taking into account the administrative and technical aspects, to meet pilgrims’ needs.
This comes in line with the directives of the wise leadership, with the follow-up of the Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Governor of the Makkah Region, the Chairman of the Central Hajj Committee; and his deputy, the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Central Hajj Committee to improve the quality of services provided to pilgrims.
Road Maintenance
Within this context, the Holy Makkah Municipality equipped a number of field teams that work around the clock to oversee and follow-up on road and lighting maintenance, as well as sidewalks and public facilities to ensure their safety and efficiency.
In this regard, materials laboratory has carried out quality tests for the roads leading to the holy sites, under the supervision of specialized engineers and qualified technical teams.
In addition, works of treatment and maintenance of lighting poles were carried out, with a total of 4767 poles and lighting towers in the holy sites. Also, maintenance of 123 bridges in Makkah and 20 bridges in the holy sites was completed. Furthermore, maintenance work was completed for 58 tunnels, including 48 for vehicles and 10 tunnels for pedestrians, with a total length of 34,000 meters.
Equipped Tents
The Holy Makkah Municipality has prepared several service centers in the holy sites according to the geographic distribution, equipping them with the necessary devices and manpower.
Meanwhile, Hajj service companies (Tawafa) have completed their preparations for the Hajj season by their field service centers to transport pilgrims and provide them with the best services.
The preparations included modern tents equipped to international standards. Each tent includes insulation against light and heat, fire resistance, protection from ultraviolet rays, and has a dedicated cooling system. It also has security and safety measures for electrical wirings. The companies also provide health services and quality meals for pilgrims.
Transportation Services
Additionally, Tawafa companies continue their verification procedures to ensure the smooth operation of public transportation systems in the holy sites. This includes inspecting the routes and paths of public transportation buses, and ensuring adherence to the designated Hajj transportation plans, in accordance with the schedules and times set by the General Syndicate of Cars in Makkah.
The Roads General Authority (RGA), in partnership with several relevant entities, will expand its asphalt surface cooling experiment in many places in the holy sites. The RGA, in partnership with relevant entities, implemented this initiative next to the Namirah Mosque in Arafat, over an area of 25,000 square meters.
This experiment aims to decrease the temperature in residential areas, reduce power consumption in cooling buildings, and combat climate change impacts.
