Crown Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, Tuesday warned that the Kingdom would use “all means” to ensure a peaceful Haj pilgrimage amid tumult in other Arab countries and rising tensions with Iran. “We are ready to face all events, whatever they are ... our means are peaceful ... except for those who want to create mischief, whom we will prevent with all means,” the Crown Prince told a news conference here in answer to a question about the possibility of violent protests. The Crown Prince, who is also Chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, was addressing the media after an inspection tour of the holy sites wherein he reviewed security and other arrangements for the pilgrims. The news conference followed a military parade featuring riot police, special forces and tanks that the Kingdom can call upon in the event of any trouble during the pilgrimage. When asked about whether there was any prior understanding between the Kingdom and Iran regarding Haj, Crown Prince Naif said there was no need for that. “Iranians always respect Haj. They know the importance of this great ritual. After each Haj, the Kingdom always receives appreciation letters from leaders of Iranian Haj missions,” he said. Referring to the unrest in some countries in the region, Prince Naif said what is happening there is the internal matters of the respective countries. Facts have shown, he said, that the Saudi people are in complete solidarity with the country's leadership which also has great confidence in the Saudi people. “These are open facts,” he said. The Kingdom, he said, has opened its doors for the media to witness the stability of the Kingdom and solidarity between its people and government. “Praise be to Almighty Allah that the Kingdom enjoys political, economic and social stability at all levels,” the Crown Prince said. Talking about the future Saudi role in Arab countries which have witnessed upheavals, Prince Naif said the Kingdom always stood for solidarity of Arabs. “This has always been the Kingdom's policy and it won't change,” he reiterated. “The Kingdom has great confidence in pilgrims who understand the importance of this sacred ritual for all Muslims. Pilgrims should forget about unrest and changes taking place in other Arab countries,” he said. Replying to a question on Yemen, the Crown Prince hoped that stability would return to that country. “Although what is happening in Yemen is its internal matter, we hope that the tumult there does not spill over to the Kingdom,” he said. The Ministry of Interior, he said, has secured the borders of the Kingdom with all countries to prevent anyone from entering Saudi territory illegally. Dwelling on the recent massive expansion projects in Makkah and Madina, Crown Prince Naif said the Kingdom has always been spending huge amounts on them but “not a single riyal enters the state's treasury from these projects.” Al-Mashair Train project, he said, was implemented to facilitate easy and comfortable transportation of pilgrims. The money paid by passengers who use the train is spent on the train and its maintenance. “The Kingdom bore all expenses but does not expect any return from such projects. Everyone knows this fact,” he said. Many new projects that will change the ports of entry into Makkah are in the offing, he said adding that the government intends to make access to the Grand Mosque much easier through modern trains and other means of transport. “We have allocated huge amounts for the future projects which you will see in the future,” he said. Comparing the Haj arrangements with those of the World Cup is absolutely not right, he said. “Those who say organizing the Haj is similar to organizing the World Cup are wrong. The World Cup event is launched after years of preparation while Haj happens every year and it ends peacefully, thanks be to Allah,” he said. As for imposing penalties for those who violate Haj regulations, Prince Naif said: “We don't need such laws and penalties. We're at Haj. Anyone who does harm to this holy ritual and Muslims will be dealt with according to the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah and Shariah penalties will be imposed on them.” Regarding the difficulties some media staff face during their coverage of the Haj, Prince Naif said checkpoints will provide more facilities to the media to help them accomplish their missions. “Saudi media staff should put the interest of the country before anything and authenticate and verify before broadcasting any news,” he said. Prince Naif thanked all those who offered condolences on the death of Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz. “This is a great loss to the Kingdom. But we're Muslim and we accept destiny. May Allah bestow mercy on Prince Sultan,” he prayed.
