year plan to ease traffic congestion and overcrowding in Makkah was discussed at a high-level meeting here Saturday led by Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, the Emir of Makkah. Al-Faisal chaired the third meeting of the Makkah and Holy Sites' Development Commission's Executive Committee, which looked at ways to successfully implement the project. The Emir said the plan aims to ease the current congestion and overcrowding for Makkah residents, and pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque. This is in compliance with King Abdullah's directives to have a radical solution for the overcrowding and traffic jams in the city, the Holy Sites and the Central Zone, he added. The officials watched a presentation on the plan by the commission's secretary general. Besides the 10-year project, it is also proposed that a transportation plan be developed for the next 20 years. The Emir and officials were also shown a study on the movement of pilgrims inside the Grand Mosque and its courtyards. The study was conducted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Institute for Haj Research.
