New regulations for organizations handling domestic Hajj pilgrims will be issued shortly, according to Hajj Minister Iyad Madani. The Minister told Al-Eqtisadiah, a sister publication of Arab News, that another updated law for the tawafa organizations was being studied by the Supreme Hajj Committee. Madani indicated that, to ease traffic congestion, his ministry would seek a ban on domestic pilgrims using rented vehicles to shuttle between the holy sites.
He said the first phase of a kitchen project in Mina would be ready before the coming Hajj season.
Pilgrims from different parts of the Islamic world have started arriving in the Kingdom for the Hajj, which is expected to start on January 30. More than two million pilgrims are slated to perform Hajj this time.
The Health Ministry has readied 13 hospitals and 161 health centers in the Holy City of Makkah and other holy sites for pilgrims. Dr. Othman Al-Maimani, health director in Makkah, said more than 10,000 doctors, nurses and paramedical staff would be deployed for Hajj service. He estimated the total number of hospital beds in Makkah, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa at 3,306, which could be increased to 4,231 in emergency situations.
Some 7,150 pilgrims, the first batch of 205,000 Indonesians who will perform Hajj this year, arrived in Jeddah yesterday. They came on flights from eight airports across the archipelago.
In a related news of this year's Hajj, the Passports Department has prepared a radio program in Arabic, English, French, Indonesian, Urdu, Persian and Turkish language to enhance awareness of Saudi regulations among pilgrims.
