Despite the overall statistical success of authorities in addressing the number of beggars in Makkah, the half-term school holidays saw an increase that officials had difficulty tackling. “It was too much. Every time I went to the Haram with my family I was bombarded with people asking for money,” said Muhammad Abdullah, an Umrah pilgrim from Riyadh. Beggars habitually proliferate at the most rewarding sites in the city – the Central Area, mosques, hospitals and public parks. “The issue is not about being charitable,” said visitor Masoud Bin Hendi. “Giving money to the poor is a commendable act and a religious duty, but the problem is in the way many beggars persist and annoy in order to get it.” Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, assistant head of a recently-established committee to eradicate “undesirable activities” in Makkah, says that of the illegal street sellers, unlicensed persons selling Zamzam, and beggars which he has been tasked with tackling, the latter continue to pose the largest annoyance. “They are the most widespread, but statistics show that their numbers have gone down considerably since the committee started its work,” Al-Ghamdi said. “Foreign beggars, once detained, are passed over to the Expatriate Administration, while Saudis are referred to the Social Security office.” Mansour Al-Hazmi, head of Makkah's Anti-Begging Office, says that foreign beggars are the responsibility of the police. “We only deal only with Saudi nationals and foreigners under the age of 16,” Al-Hazmi said. “The Passports Department deports expatriate beggars, regardless of the legality of their residency status, and this has served to greatly reduce begging.” Saudi beggars, Al-Hazmi said, are handled by four authorities, depending on the individual case. “They are dealt with by Social Security if it is proven that they are unable to work, or referred to homes for the elderly, or entered into vocational training programs,” he said. “If it is found that the individual is able and eligible for employment, they are referred to the regional labor office.” Beggars themselves, however, are sometimes motivated out of need, and at other times out of a sense of entitlement, suggesting that the problem will not readily disappear. Tahra, who was carrying an infant child in the Makkah Central Area, said she turned to begging because it was her “only option to feed the baby”. “I don't have a job or any qualifications for work,” she said. Another beggar, Khadijah, said it was “her right”. “I am from an African Muslim country and I am entitled to the charity that Muslims give me here,” she said.
