Saudi authorities assure Pinoys of 'excellent Hajj'

Saudi authorities have assured Muslim pilgrims from the Philippines and other countries of an "excellent Hajj," the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia that will start on November 15. After inspecting the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah on Saturday, Makkah (Mecca) Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal said he was satisfied with preparations. He was particularly pleased with the monorail connecting the holy sites, which was built for the annual pilgrimage. The prince expressed confidence that this year’s annual pilgrimage — the world’s largest — would be much better than those of previous years when it comes to services, the Arab News reported on Sunday. The Philippine Embassy in Jeddah said the first batch of 411 pilgrims landed in Madinah from Manila on October 19. After complying with Saudi immigration requirements, the pilgrims immediately proceeded to their respective accommodations at the Mirage Taiba Hotel in Madinah. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said a last batch is expected to arrive in Jeddah on November 10, four days before the start of the Hajj, where over two million people are expected to join. Around 3,500 Filipino hajj pilgrims are expected to arrive in Jeddah for this year’s pilgrimage, the DFA said. Considered the fifth pillar of Islam, the Hajj is a religious duty that every able-bodied Muslim, who can afford to do so, is expected to join at least once in his or her lifetime. For Muslims, the Hajj is also a demonstration of submission to Allah and solidarity with each other. The pilgrimage occurs on the 8th to 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and last month of the Islamic calendar. However, because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar that is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar commonly used in the modern Westernized world, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to year. Railway The use of the Mashair Railway this year is expected to bring remarkable improvements to the transport of pilgrims between the holy places, Prince Khaled said. Built at the cost of SR6.5 billion (about PP74 trillion) the new monorail will have a capacity to transport 72,000 pilgrims an hour. Nine stations have been constructed, with three each in Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifah. This is the second largest project implemented by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs after the SR4.5 billion high-tech Jamrat Bridge project in Mina. Accompanying Prince Khaled were Prince Mansour bin Miteb, minister of municipal and rural affairs, Haj Minister Fouad Al-Farsy and Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry. The tour began from the nonstop transport system, which will be used this year to transport pilgrims from Iran, Turkey, Europe, Australia, the United States, and those from non-Arab African countries. The system will enable the transportation of 44,000 pilgrims between the holy places within an hour. “It will reduce the time for reaching Muzdalifah from Arafat from five hours to 20 minutes," an official statement read. The system would be developed further to transport three million pilgrims in the future. Other preparations Meanwhile, Prince Khaled chaired a meeting of the Central Hajj Committee at the governorate office in Muzdalifah and, with ministers and top official, reviewed preparations for Hajj. He urged government departments and private agencies to mobilize all their resources to serve pilgrims and make the Hajj operation a resounding success. “This year we have completed a number of major projects including the Mashair Railway, the last phase of the Jamrat Bridge project and the rainwater drainage system," he said. He said expansion work at King Abdulaziz Airport’s Hajj Terminal was completed before the Hajj season, saying this will help pilgrims enjoy quick services at the airport. Awareness campaign are also expected to contribute to reducing the number of pilgrims who squat in public places, the prince said. More than 112,000 pilgrims have already registered with domestic pilgrim companies and obtained Hajj permits. “The figure is much higher than in previous years and shows that the media campaign is bearing fruit," he said. Prince Khaled also inspected the fourth floor of the high-tech Jamrat Bridge in Mina as well as the helipads in Mawiya, Wadi Qadid, Shumaisy and Al-Laith, which will be used to launch Saudi Red Crescent Authority’s air ambulances transporting pilgrims taken ill to specialized hospitals. This is the first time an air ambulance service has been set up near the Jamrat. Meanwhile, the Civil Defense department has installed about 500 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in Makkah and the holy places to monitor the movement of pilgrims 24 hours a day. The department has 460 centers in Makkah and the holy places aside from the 40 field units stationed outside the city. –DM/VVP, GMANews.TV