Under the direction of the Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Governor of Makkah Region and Chairman of the Central Hajj Committee, Prince Khalid bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Governor of the region, Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, chaired the meeting of the Central Hajj Committee at the Governorate headquarters in the Holy Capital today (Tuesday). The meeting included a review and discussion of the work of the agencies and a follow-up on the plans for the Umrah season and the necessary coordination and alignment between the agencies to perform their tasks as required.

The committee reviewed the work of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the integrated coordination between it and more than 30 other entities from the public and private sectors to provide an easy journey and a smooth experience for the guests of the Holy House. It presented the most important strategic and operational indicators that it is working on for Umrah during 1446 AH, the most prominent of which is the continuous improvement of the level and quality of services in a way that makes it easier for the guests of God to perform their acts of worship.

The ministry monitors these indicators through various centers and work sites, including the Monitoring and Control Center, the Compliance Center, and field work sites, across several locations including 3 branches (Makkah, Jeddah, Madinah), 20 air, sea and land ports, 13 care centers, 3 intercity crowd control centers, the Security Operations Center (911) and the unified communication.

The ministry addressed the transportation service for pilgrims, including transportation services between ports and cities, as 108 companies transport pilgrims via 11,567 buses, and support services are provided through 5 centers on the main roads between cities (Makkah, Jeddah, Madinah).

Improving overall operational performance

The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque reviewed a report on its readiness and most prominent work for the 1446 AH Umrah season, and its operational goals, which are to achieve a high average satisfaction of pilgrims with the most important services and assets provided in the Grand Mosque, to raise the overall operational performance in the Grand Mosque, and to provide human resources to implement the season plan effectively.

The plan included equipping and preparing all areas of the Grand Mosque to be ready for Umrah, prayer, and Itikaf during Ramadan. It also included providing 32 services such as cleaning, transportation, wheelchairs, preventing people from sleeping in the mosque, access to gates, Zamzam water, restrooms, prayer areas, courtyards, copies of the Quran, Itikaf facilities, and maintenance services. Additionally, it involved installing 92 electronic screens, 202 escalators, 360 air handling units, 120,000 lighting units, over 142,000 cooling units, 4,000 electrical panels, 22 elevators, 38,000 carpets, 8,000 loudspeakers, and 25,000 Zamzam water containers.

Performing preventive seasonal maintenance

During the meeting, the readiness of the Ministry of Finance’s project management projects for the Grand Mosque to receive the guests of the Grand Mosque during the Umrah season and the month of Ramadan of 1446 AH was reviewed and discussed. The most prominent preparations and equipment directed towards this were clarified, including the completion of epoxy painting works in the courtyards surrounding the Grand Mosque to receive worshippers, preparing temporary transportation stations with seasonal equipment (fans, umbrellas, paving, paints), in addition to carrying out seasonal preventive maintenance for security rooms, surveillance cameras, escalators and elevators, alarm systems, sterilization of Zamzam water networks, and air conditioning elements.

Improving the experience of guests of the Holy Mosque

During the meeting, Jeddah Airports Company reviewed the readiness of King Abdulaziz International Airport for the 1446 AH - 2024 AD Umrah season. The airport terminals have been equipped with 20 air-conditioned waiting areas for pilgrims in the public area under the eastern tents in the Hajj and Umrah Terminal Complex. Continuous coordination with all security, governmental and operational agencies regarding updates on pilgrim movement has been maintained, and sufficient manpower and equipment have been secured at all operational sites. Continuous coordination and monitoring of expected air traffic for pilgrim numbers and flights has also been maintained. Screening points have been prepared (Terminal 1, which can accommodate 1,850 pilgrims; the North Terminal, which has a capacity of 450 pilgrims; and the Hajj and Umrah Terminal Complex, which can accommodate more than 840 buses), as well as baggage handling areas for groups in the Hajj and Umrah Terminal Complex (6,600 bags/hour), and west of Terminal 1 (1,750 bags/hour).

Jeddah Airports has launched several initiatives to enhance the experience of pilgrims to the Grand Mosque, including the pilot operation of electronic gates and baggage-free travel. King Abdulaziz International Airport achieved its highest operational record across all terminals on Wednesday, November 6th, with 161,189 employees and a record number of flights on a single day, handling 816 flights.

The committee also addressed the latest developments related to the Hajj plans for 1446 AH, and then discussed a number of other topics on the agenda and made the necessary recommendations regarding them.