MAKKAH – It takes cleaners at the Grand Mosque's Sanitation Department 35 minutes to clean the courtyards of the Grand Mosque, said Humood Al-Ayada, director of the department. Run by the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques' Affairs, the department has intensified cleaning operations during the high-traffic Ramadan season and an operational plan has been implemented to clean places where visitors perform Tawaf and Saee as quickly as possible. An average of 127 tons of garbage is removed every month from the Grand Mosque while on Lailatul Qadr (Night of Power), about 270 tons of garbage is removed. 30,000 carpets are placed on the floors after being washed, cleaned and perfumed. This takes place in the presence of 250 male and female supervisors who monitor the performance of over 3,000 male and female workers inside the Grand Mosque and ensure that operational plans are being implemented on schedule. There are over 300 cleaning equipment being used round-the-clock to keep the Grand Mosque clean. There are 3,500 bathrooms that are cleaned after each prayer. Al-Ayada said personal belongings brought inside the Grand Mosque are taken out by security officers to specific locations outside. “There are 300 signs warning pilgrims and visitors against bringing their belongings inside the Grand Mosque or putting them at the entrances of rest rooms. This is to prevent crowding and insure maximum space for pilgrims,” he added.
