Saudi Officials Brief on Hajj Security, Transport, Health Operations
Ministries provide updates on key security, health, and mobility initiatives for Hajj 2023.
MAKKAH: The Kingdom’s Unified Hajj Media Operations Center recently held its second press briefing, featuring spokespersons from the ministries of interior, health, and transport and logistics.
They outlined significant progress in various sectors pertaining to the Hajj pilgrimage operations.The Ministry of Interior reported a seamless arrival of pilgrims at all entry points.
This includes participants from 10 countries under the Makkah Route initiative, who were safely transported to Mina for the Day of Tarwiyah.
Security forces utilized advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, effectively monitoring entry points and resulting in the arrest of 231 unlicensed transport operators and the exposure of 246 fraudulent Hajj campaigns.
Notably, there has been a decrease in regulatory violations compared to previous years.The Ministry of Health announced that no epidemic had occurred during this period.
Over 1,095,000 health services were rendered, including critical interventions such as emergency care with 28,817 cases attended to, alongside 222 cardiac catheterizations, 13 open-heart surgeries, and 318 other procedures performed.To combat heat stress, preventive measures like misting systems, shaded walkways, and drone delivery of medical supplies within five minutes were implemented.
Notably, all 28 pilgrims who experienced heat exhaustion fully recovered under this care.The transport and logistics sector activated over 100 operational plans supported by the efforts of 46,000 personnel.
The air operations provided approximately 2 million seats across 12,000 flights, while land transportation saw the deployment of 33,000 inspected buses and 5,000 taxis.Rail transport also played a pivotal role.
The Haramain High Speed Railway increased its capacity to serve 2.2 million pilgrims by 11 percent, whereas the Al-Mashaaer Al-Mugaddassah Metro moved around 2 million pilgrims.
Schedules were adjusted for quicker travel between Mina and Arafat.Furthermore, logistics operations encompassed moving 1.2 million tonnes of cargo, managing 2.6 million head of livestock, and delivering over 470,000 bags to approximately 380,000 pilgrims participating in the ‘Hajj Without Luggage’ initiative.Infrastructure upgrades were also carried out, including applying road-cooling coatings on 14,000 sq.
meters near metro stations and conducting a trial run of self-driving buses at the Quba Mosque in Madinah.
They outlined significant progress in various sectors pertaining to the Hajj pilgrimage operations.The Ministry of Interior reported a seamless arrival of pilgrims at all entry points.
This includes participants from 10 countries under the Makkah Route initiative, who were safely transported to Mina for the Day of Tarwiyah.
Security forces utilized advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, effectively monitoring entry points and resulting in the arrest of 231 unlicensed transport operators and the exposure of 246 fraudulent Hajj campaigns.
Notably, there has been a decrease in regulatory violations compared to previous years.The Ministry of Health announced that no epidemic had occurred during this period.
Over 1,095,000 health services were rendered, including critical interventions such as emergency care with 28,817 cases attended to, alongside 222 cardiac catheterizations, 13 open-heart surgeries, and 318 other procedures performed.To combat heat stress, preventive measures like misting systems, shaded walkways, and drone delivery of medical supplies within five minutes were implemented.
Notably, all 28 pilgrims who experienced heat exhaustion fully recovered under this care.The transport and logistics sector activated over 100 operational plans supported by the efforts of 46,000 personnel.
The air operations provided approximately 2 million seats across 12,000 flights, while land transportation saw the deployment of 33,000 inspected buses and 5,000 taxis.Rail transport also played a pivotal role.
The Haramain High Speed Railway increased its capacity to serve 2.2 million pilgrims by 11 percent, whereas the Al-Mashaaer Al-Mugaddassah Metro moved around 2 million pilgrims.
Schedules were adjusted for quicker travel between Mina and Arafat.Furthermore, logistics operations encompassed moving 1.2 million tonnes of cargo, managing 2.6 million head of livestock, and delivering over 470,000 bags to approximately 380,000 pilgrims participating in the ‘Hajj Without Luggage’ initiative.Infrastructure upgrades were also carried out, including applying road-cooling coatings on 14,000 sq.
meters near metro stations and conducting a trial run of self-driving buses at the Quba Mosque in Madinah.
