Ahmad Al-Husaini Okaz/Saudi Gazette MAKKAH — The head of the Civil Defense in Arafat said pilgrims who use sleeping bags and traditional tents represent a great challenge to the Civil Defense in its efforts to keep roads cleared and potential fire hazards away from large crowds. Brig. Abdullah Al-Zahrani said crowds at Namerah Mosque and pilgrims climbing Al-Rahmah Mountain represent additional challenges. The Civil Defense monitors camps' occupancy rates, enforces the required distances between camps and ensures that electrical wiring adheres to industry standards. The body also monitors emergency exits, the use of wood and kerosene in cooking and generators and the availability of fire extinguishers. Brig. Al-Zahrani said motorcycle teams and safety patrols cover all parts of Arafat and a detailed plan is ready to support Civil Defense teams if needed. The Civil Defense has also prepared plans for dealing with other hazards such as rains, floods, fires, crowding and any other hazard that may threaten the safety of pilgrims. He pointed out that there are three train stations in Arafat, stations 1, 2 and 3, in addition to Emergency Exit No. 10. The stations are located along King Abdulaziz Road No. 38 and there are special procedures to maintain the safety of pilgrims using trains. These procedures are adopted by all concerned bodies such as the Civil Defense, Public Security Department, Special Emergency Forces, Health Affairs Department and Saudi Red Crescent Society. A number of meetings were held with representatives of these bodies and officials of the Mashair train to coordinate their efforts. Private vehicles ignore ban on transporting illegal pilgrims q Many private vehicles are ignoring the ban on transporting pilgrims who do not carry the necessary Haj permits and with the grace period for illegal expatriates to correct their legal status in the Kingdom coming to an end, many expatriates who haven't been able to correct their situation are performing Haj illegally as it well may be their last chance to do so, Al-Hayat newspaper reported. This year's Haj season has witnessed a number of changes due to the ongoing expansion projects of the Grand Mosque such as the reduction of pilgrims by 20 percent. The changes have affected taxi and private vehicle businesses, which typically flourish during Haj. Mohammad Qasim, a taxi driver, said the Haj season is an opportunity to make a large amount of money but this year has been different. “This year's Haj season is different from previous years due to the reduction in the number of pilgrims and the departing of many expatriates. In the past, drivers would use dirt roads to transport pilgrims to Makkah but security bodies have intensified their campaigns to stop illegal pilgrims from entering the city which means taxis aren't doing as much business as they can be,” he said, adding that he personally knew a number of drivers who were detained and penalized for trying to smuggle illegal pilgrims into Makkah. Delaim Ahmad, another taxi driver, said drivers caught smuggling illegal pilgrims are fined SR10,000, finger printed and detained.
