Mina's Tent City needs to be expanded to cope with the increasing number of Haj pilgrims every year, according to Khaled Bin Abdulaziz Khoqiar, a member of the Haj and Umrah Committee. He expects more than two million pilgrims to perform Haj this year. “The number of tents in Mina is not sufficient and cannot accommodate all the pilgrims, so it is necessary to consider building on the foothills of the mountains, in cooperation with domestic Haj companies. There are already six buildings that can be used as a model (for future construction),” he added, according to a report in Al-Sharq Al-Awsat Arabic newspaper. On the prices of camps, he said the Ministry of Haj has divided the camps into five categories. Category A is the closest to the Jamarat Bridge and costs more than Category E camps which are outside Mina. The most expensive camp costs SR60,000 because of the special services provided by companies. Meanwhile, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Institute for Haj and Umrah Research will hold its annual meeting for researchers Saturday at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah. Dr. Bakri Bin Matouq Assass, president of the university, will chair the meeting. Dr. Abdulaziz Bin Rashad Srouji, dean of the institute, said the meeting will present its research programs for the year. “The institute is conducting several studies related to improving services for pilgrims,” he said.
