The Ministry of Defense in Saudi Arabia has completed all the necessary preparations for the 2024 Hajj season, including the provision of amenities for the pilgrims and supporting other governmental departments and security services.
A Hajj Supervisory Committee is to facilitate, ensure security, and satisfy pilgrims in performing their Hajj duty. This committee shall be entrusted with the task of organizing and overseeing the affairs of the ministry during the Hajj period..
-The Ministry of Defense is responsible for making security arrangements, arranging airspace, and all that is necessary to handle the flow of people, in addition to delivering medical and therapeutic services to pilgrims. They also provide accommodation to other countries' servicemen, families of the martyrs, and the pilgrims.
"The 8th of June, 2024, Riyadh Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Minister of Defense, has announced that the Ministry of Defense has successfully completed all its preparations for the crucial role it will play during this year's Hajj season in 1445 AH. In addition to providing the necessary amenities for pilgrims, the purpose of these preparations is to provide assistance to the efforts and plans of all government institutions and security services in their efforts and plans.
The Ministry of Defense established a Hajj Supervisory Committee to fulfill the directives and goals of the Saudi leadership, including ensuring pilgrims can perform their Hajj rituals with comfort, security, and certainty. The Director of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces led the committee, responsible for preparing, planning, and supervising all responsibilities assigned to the various units and sectors of the ministry during the Hajj season.
In order to provide assistance to pilgrims, the Ministry of Defense deployed its military and civilian human resources, medical and health staff, capabilities, and service facilities to the Holy Sites, Makkah, and Madinah as part of its overall strategy for the Hajj mission. All of the branches of the armed forces, in addition to the several relevant sections of the ministry, are actively supporting this joint endeavor.
On top of the Ministry of Interior, security support is provided by the Ministry of Defence, which besides implementing the general plan to preserve order, raises the level of security measures to prevent occurrences that might put the safety of pilgrims and the Hajj in jeopardy. The ministry is responsible for a variety of activities, including managing the airspace surrounding the sacred sites, monitoring crowd flow and movement, operating helicopter flights around the clock, and maintaining the courtyards of the sacred mosque in Makkah.
To assist the Ministry of Health in providing medical and therapeutic services to pilgrims, the Ministry of Defense has established a number of hospitals, both permanent and field-based, as well as emergency facilities. Additionally, the government provides medical evacuation aircraft to facilitate the transportation of critical cases to hospitals offering care. This ensures that pilgrims are able to perform their rituals in the most secure and healthy environment possible.
As part of its overall strategy for the Hajj, the Ministry of Defense provides lodging for servicemen, children of Saudi and Yemeni martyrs and wounded, and pilgrims from more than twenty other countries. The Ministry of Defense has outfitted Mina with camps that meet the most contemporary standards, ensuring the highest level of service for these individuals to carry out their rituals effectively.
The Ministry of Defense has completed the plan for its guiding and religion program, which aims to educate pilgrims and visitors staying at its camps. We carry out the plan by inviting scholars and sheiks to deliver sermons and lectures, broadcasting awareness messages to pilgrims, and circulating letters, books, and pamphlets that clarify ritual issues and deeds and provide information about them.
