Men who guard the 86 doors of the Prophet's Mosque in Madina speak to the pilgrims in a variety of foreign languages and sign language and they ensure that they communicate well in any language by attending training sessions to work effectively with people. Doorkeepers face the challenge of welcoming and assisting more than 1 million people per day during the peak periods, according to estimates. The 500 regular and seasonal doorkeepers have taken intensive courses in a number of foreign languages including Urdu, Persian and Turkish, said Rashed Bin Ruwaished Al-Maghdhawi, supervisor of the Doors Administration at the Prophet's Mosque. Other courses are held throughout the year for all the employees to achieve quality in the administration of the Prophet's Mosque doors, he added. Al-Maghdhawi said the Doors Administration provides training to serve worshippers and prevent misunderstandings due to visitors' differences in cultures and languages. He pointed out that courses are intensified for seasonal employees during Ramadan and the Haj season to acquaint them with regulations and how to deal with emergencies. Training includes techniques in communicating with visitors and worshippers, ensuring a smooth flow of people through the doors and to their destinations and prevention of squatting, he said. There are seven groups of doors that lead to the old mosque, the expansion and the mosque's roof, which is reached by 16 escalators. All doors and escalators are opened during Ramadan.
