The Saudi Ministry of Interior gave updates on the present Hajj season together with operational enhancements and security policies.
The first part of the Hajj travel schedule has finished, securely getting pilgrims from Makkah to Mina.
With many medical professionals, hospitals, and clinics set at different sites, the Ministry of Health guarantees the availability of medical treatment for pilgrims.
Makkah, June 15, 2024. The Saudi Ministry of Interior presented updates on the current Hajj season for 1445 AH during its daily press conference on Wednesday. Representatives from the Ministries of Hajj and Umrah, Health, and Transportation accompanied the security spokesperson. These individuals offered a comprehensive assessment of the security measures and operational improvements that have taken place. Col. Talal bin Abdulmohsen Al-Shalhoub, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior's security department, has announced the completion of the first phase of the Hajj transportation plan.
He stated that they have safely transported the pilgrims from Makkah and the Grand Mosque to Mina, where they will spend the Day of Tarwiyah preparing for the historic Day of Arafat. Colonel Shalhoub also emphasized the significance of the Unified Security Operations Center (911) was another point that Colonel Shalhoub placed emphasis on. emphasized. Since the beginning of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the center has received 282,450 calls. These calls include requests for service, concerns over security, and general inquiries from pilgrims. Furthermore, he highlighted the Saudi authorities' unwavering dedication to ensuring that the Hajj experience is safe and trouble-free for every pilgrim.
At Makkah's access gates and along the highways leading to the Grand Mosque, security forces continue to exercise caution by scrutinizing the licenses of domestic pilgrims. The holy sites will be subject to stringent security measures. At the meeting, the security spokeswoman for the Ministry of Interior provided a comprehensive report on the security preparations for the Hajj. Since Shawwal 20, 1445 AH, the ministry has released a report detailing the confiscation of 160 fraudulent campaigns. In addition, since the 25th of Shawwal, the authorities have returned 135,098 vehicles and 250,381 individuals who are not inhabitants of Makkah to the places where they were originally located.
During the period beginning on Shawwal 10, security personnel in Makkah detained 6,135 individuals for violating regulations about residency, employment, and border security. The press conference took place between Dhuʻl-Qiʻdah 15 and the time when 256,481 individuals who had non-Hajj visit permits returned to their respective countries of origin. Authorities apprehended 159 transporters who had violated Hajj norms and rules in the period between Dhul-Qidah 25 until Dhu Al-Hijjah 7. A Saudi Arabian spokesman said his country was all the more determined to make sure that these sacred places would neither be demeaned nor exploited for any type of adventure, nor used to meddle with the spiritual experiences of the pilgrims. The security authorities would take extreme action against anyone who deviates from pilgrim protection since it is still a first priority.
Positive updates on the state of the Hajj came from Dr. Ayed Al-Ghuwaynem, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for Hajj Affairs. He verified that yesterday morning the pilgrims arrived at the holy sites without any trouble. He said, they will celebrate Tarwiyah with peace and spirituality. Dr. Al-Ghuwaynem claims that especially remarkable are the combined efforts of the security and service sectors as well as the extensive planning for the next stage, which entails bringing pilgrims to the holy site of Arafat. The set schedules and priorities will govern the well-conducted exercise.
The entire transport and dispatch sector has been involved in the big preparations. Over the past five months, the organization and its activities have conducted five smooth simulation exercises to test their arrangements. These realistic simulations up to the involvement of approximately 15,000 busses and 40,000 individuals were supposed to ensure a smooth trip to Arafat for the pilgrims. Acting as the official spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Dr. Mohammad Al-Abdulali gave a thorough assessment of the significant medical services that Hajj visitors have access to over this season. Stationed at various locations to ensure pilgrims' health and safety are an incredible 35,000 medical experts, assisted by 5,500 health volunteers.
As part of this robust infrastructure, there are a total of 189 integrated hospitals, health facilities, and mobile clinics, in addition to 98 ambulance centers that are strategically located along the Hajj route. The Kingdom has built fourteen health monitoring centers at various access points as an additional measure to safeguard the general population's health. He said 32 mobile supply trucks made all essential commodities easily available in addition to the quick medical analysis ensured by 12 laboratories. Dr. Al-Abdulali, adding that the sector was ready for any emergency, cited 6,515 available beds, of which more than 800 were allocated for intensive care. Also, the sector constructs, in the Hajj season, about 280 beds to treat sunstroke and heat fatigue, two major problems that people are-facing usually.
Also, the Ministry of Health put the transportation of medical supplies in the first rank, and it operates a fleet of 729 ambulances and seven ambulance vehicles. He mentioned that the 937 phone center provides aid to pilgrims in need, offering services in multiple languages. Furthermore included within the healthcare system are telehealth services offered by the Seha Virtual Hospital and related virtual clinics. One modern technology he is alluding to when he says this is ECMO, a One hundred percent of domestic pilgrims have confirmed, according to Dr. Al-Abdulali, that they satisfy the required immunization criteria.
Additionally, he mentioned that a small number of Hajj licenses, approximately 150, were revoked due to a lack of total vaccine compliance, but other individuals who met the requirements were permitted to continue with their voyage. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services, Saleh bin Ibrahim Al-Zwaid, explained how the ministry effectively prepared for the arrival of pilgrims. The strategy for this area incorporates a number of different modes of transportation, including land, sea, and air.They have worked with all relevant players to simplify and hasten the arrival procedure for pilgrims starting this holy trip. By Wednesday, the Kingdom's airports had effectively welcomed more than 19,000 flights from more than 72 airlines coming from more than 90 separate nations. On the first of Dhu al-Hijjah, during the peak arrival period, almost 650 flights landed in an amazing rate—one flight came every 130 seconds.
