Abdullah Al-Dhubyani Okaz/Saudi Gazette MAKKAH — As many as 4,350 buildings have been licensed to accommodate about 1.6 million pilgrims who will come for Haj this year, according to Zuhair Haddad, chairman of the pilgrims' accommodation committee. He said the committee is determined to provide the guests of God with safe and comfortable accommodation during their stay in Makkah and other holy sites. Haddad said thousands of buildings were demolished as a result of the expansion of the central area around the Grand Mosque and other development projects in the holy city. “This has not, however, negatively affected the provision of enough buildings to accommodate the pilgrims,” he said. “Instead, it has led to the rise of new and modern buildings to house the pilgrims,” he added. Haddad asked owners of the violating buildings to improve their conditions and provide the required safety measures so as to be licensed to accommodate the pilgrims. He said about 60 of the building owners who were late in correcting their violations were given an opportunity to do so in order to receive their Haj accommodation licenses. “The committee is keen to provide the citizens with buildings to rent enough time to prepare them so as to meet all safety measures required by the Civil Defense,” he said. Haddad recalled that last year about 20 Haj buildings were fined for various violations and said the committee will not issue license this year to any building if it is not well furnished and safe. Meanwhile, since the end of Ramadan, about 27,000 Umrah pilgrims have left for their respective countries on board 118 flights. Since the Umrah season has started on Nov. 23, about 5.8 million Umrah pilgrims arrived in the Kingdom on board 23,000 flights. About 10 million pilgrims are expected to arrive for the next Umrah season starting in November.
