JEDDAH: P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR
Published — Friday 25 April 2014

Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar announced Wednesday that his ministry would begin allocating spaces for pilgrims at the holy sites of Mina and Arafat among the Tawafa organizations next week. “The move will enable Tawafa organizations to make early arrangements to receive pilgrims,” he said, and added that his ministry would coordinate with the Finance Ministry to carry out maintenance works on all tents.

Hajjar said the measure were taken on directives of higher authorities to keep the tents and other facilities and services ready to receive pilgrims ahead of the annual pilgrimage.

The minister expected substantial progress in services rendered by various departments during the upcoming Haj season. About 3 million pilgrims are expected to perform Haj this year, including 2 million from abroad. Saad Al-Qurashi, chairman of the National Committee for Haj and Umrah, welcomed the ministry’s early distribution of space and tents in the holy sites, saying it would have a big impact on improving Haj services. “We have called on authorities in the past to allocate tents well in advance of Haj,” Al-Qurashi told Arab News.

He said the move could help reduce charges imposed on domestic pilgrims. Prices for normal Haj services for domestic pilgrims had gone up to SR12,000 during the last Haj season. “The early distribution of tents means substantial improvement in services being rendered by Tawafa organizations and Haj service companies to foreign and domestic pilgrims,” he said.

SOURCE: ARABNEWS