Saudi Arabia unveils Hajj operational plan

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has launched its operational plan for this year’s Hajj season.

Acting Minister of Media Majid Al-Qasabi said the country’s leaders and people are honored to serve the Two Holy Mosques and all who come to them as pilgrims or visitors.

“The Kingdom’s government has enabled all the concerned sectors in the country to facilitate the service of pilgrims, and to harness all the security, safety and health capabilities to facilitate the services (that allow) pilgrims to perform the rituals of Hajj with ease,” he added.

Al-Qasabi said this year’s Hajj pilgrimage will be the second under the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, and takes place as new variants of the coronavirus continue to emerge. He added that the decision to limit Hajj to 60,000 pilgrims, all of them from inside Saudi Arabia, aims to protect them and ensure their rituals can carried out as safely as possible.

Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, said the authority is working to put in place all possible health precautions, while also ensuring that the Hajj rituals can take place, the experience is enriched, and proper hospitality is provided in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Regarding the provision of water to pilgrims, Al-Sudais said that the presidency will hand out bottles of sterilized Zamzam water. The latest artificial intelligence technology will be employed to distribute the water using robots and high-tech smart vehicles, he added, in accordance with precautionary procedures.

The presidency will provide more than 800 manual and electric vehicles to help people move around within the Grand Mosque and its courtyards, he said, and make it easier for elderly and disabled pilgrims to perform their rituals

Al-Sudais also revealed that about 5,000 workers have been recruited to sterilize the Grand Mosque, its courtyards and other facilities 10 times a day, using more than 60,000 liters of disinfectant and the latest cleaning technologies. The presidency also plans to provide gifts, including umbrellas and sterilizers, that will make it easier, safer and more comfortable for pilgrims to perform their rituals.