ARAFAT — Around two million pilgrims on Wednesday poured into the vast plain of Arafat where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) gave his final sermon 14 centuries ago. Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, arrived in Mina to supervise Haj arrangements and services being provided to pilgrims. To organize the flow of pilgrims, security forces formed human chains along the roads of the vast Arafat plain. Along the way, volunteers handed out boxes of food and cold water bottles. Saudi authorities say there are 1.4 million international pilgrims this year. Some 200,000 pilgrims from the Kingdom are also performing Haj. “We feel blessed. I got goosebumps, a feeling that cannot be explained, when reaching the top of the mountain,” said Ruhaima Emma, a 26-year-old Filipina pilgrim, who said she has been “praying for a good life for everyone.” For Akram Ghannam, 45, from war-torn Syria, being in Arafat is a “feeling that cannot be described. I pray to God for the victory of all those who are oppressed.” Water sprinkles helped cool the atmosphere and created a pleasant ambience for the Guests of Allah who stood there from dawn to dusk and performed the Dhur and Asr prayers together. More than 17,700 cars in addition to the Mashaer train of a capacity of 370,000 passengers transported the pilgrims from Mina and Makkah to Arafat valley. Zuhair Bin Abdul Rahman Saqit, director of the municipality's department of roads, said they LED technology is being used to light the streets and walkways of holy sites. Meanwhile, the security aircraft made sorties over Arafat to monitor the movement of pilgrims. Maj. Gen. Mohammed Bin Eid Al-Harbe, commander of the security aviation, told Saudi Gazette which accompanied him on one of the helicopters, that the sorties will be intensified over Mina on Thursday to monitor the stone-throwing ritual and the movement of pilgrims to Makkah for Tawaf Al-Ifadah. He said the air reconnaissance will continue over holy sites and Makkah until the third day of Eid which is Sunday. He said there are 18 helicopters doing the sorties and added that new security airbases will soon be established in Madinah and Al-Jouf city. He said a patient was airlifted from Arafat to King Abdullah Medical Complex in Makkah onboard one of the security aircraft. “So far we have carried out 300 sorties and flew for about 418 hours overr Makkah, Madinah and holy sites,” he said. After sunset on Wednesday the pilgrims moved to Muzdalifah. There they will gather pebbles for a symbolic stoning of the devil ritual on Thursday, which is also the Eid Al-Adha feast of sacrifice marked by the world's more than 1.5 billion Muslims. Crowding at Masaher station No. 3 Some 204 pilgrims either fainted or suffered from fatigue and exhaustion at station No. 3 in Mina waiting for the Mashaer train to transport them to Arafat early Wednesday, the Civil Defense announced. A statement by the Civil Defense said the train was delayed at station No. 1 in Mina because the automatic system to open its doors had malfunctioned. As a result of the delay, large number of pilgrims assembled in the station waiting for the train. Civil Defense spokesman Co. Abdullah Al-Orabi Al-Harthy said units of the Civil Defense were dispatched to the location to open the emergency exits and prevent any stampede. He said all the pilgrims, who were mostly old and sick, were transported to Arafat after being treated on the site except five who were taken to the hospital. — With agencies
