Falih Al-Dhibyani Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Prince Ahmed Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior, has approved the security plan for the holy month of Ramadan, which will see 28,000 security officers mobilized throughout the month. Millions of worshipers from around the world are expeced to visit Makkah to perform Umrah during the holy month. Those officers will be in charge of vehicle traffic and will manage crowds of Umrah performers and visitors inside the Grand Mosque. They will ensure that guests of Allah feel comfortable during performing their rituals. Maj. Gen. Nasser Al-Arfaj, deputy director of Public Security, said, “We have plans to manage crowds and respond to any emergency on 27th night of Ramadan when over three million people will perform Umrah and pray in Makkah." Sophisticated devices and equipment, including surveillance cameras, will be used to ensure the safety of Umrah performers, Maj. Gen. Al-Afraj said. In the last 10 days of Ramadan, the central area around the Grand Mosque will be converted to a praying area to accommodate the huge number of worshipers, he noted. Crowds in the Tawaf and Masa'a areas, roofs and all over the Grand Mosque will be regularly monitored to prevent possible stampedes. “We will also record, as usual, all negative and positive aspects of security operations in order to improve performance in upcoming years," Maj. Gen. Al-Afraj said.
