Badea Abu Al-Naja Saudi Gazette ARAFAT — Civil Defense plan for smooth movement of pilgrims from Mina to Arafat and then to Muzdalifah went off perfectly well. Saudi Gazette was able to monitor the movement and the success of the plan from a helicopter provided by Commander of Security Aviation Maj. Gen. Muhammad Al-Harbi. The S92 helicopter was flown by Capt. Fahd Al-Ghaith and his assistant Capt. Sultan Al-Bishri at a height of 2,500 feet. Al-Harbi said daily monitoring from air has shown that all is going according to the plans laid down by authorities. The situation was reassuring in Arafat and the other holy sites. Security helicopters monitored smooth flow of traffic while pilgrims moved from Mina to Arafat.
The Civil Defense has established special teams comprising officers and privates to preserve the safety of pilgrims during the stone-throwing ritual at the Jamarat Bridge. The teams will professionally deal with all possible risks, provide rescue services and evacuate pilgrims in case of emergency. Commander of the Civil Defense forces at the Jamarat area Col. Nasser Bin Ali Al-Nahari said their teams will focus on the safety of pilgrims during the stone-throwing ritual. He said his forces will also extend support, whenever necessary, to the security forces in the Grand Mosque, the Civil Defense centers in the holy sites, the Makkah municipality and all the other vital establishments. Col. Al-Nahari said Civil Defense units on the Jamarat bridge will guard all entrances and exists especially during peak hours. He said the teams have been equipped with the necessary tools to carry out their duties including protective clothes and gurneys to evacuate the sick and injured. “The teams have been thoroughly trained before the Haj and they have carried out a number of drills,” he said. “The operations room of the General Security will provide officers with data on the movement of pilgrims and inform them of any emergency situations,” he added.
