MAKKAH: Prince Naif, Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, will Wednesday conduct a check of this year's Haj security, services and administrative plans. He will also attend a parade of 70,000 security officers who will be on duty this Haj. The Prince's tour will start at Arafat, and then he will check projects related to pilgrim services and development projects carried out by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. The tour will include an inspection of the Holy Sites Train that will be operating partially for the first time and will be serving about 150,000 pilgrims this year. Prince Naif will then check on the final, completed stage of the Jamarat Bridge. The bridge project has recently seen the construction of sunshades, and the link-up of the fourth and fifth floors through passageways for those using the train and the helipad. He will also acquaint himself with the elevators, the ventilation system, and the water sprinkling systems used to counter the heat. Other projects to be checked are the rainwater drainage system that will be completed this year and the bus shuttle system for pilgrims. The shuttle's third stage will be completed this year, followed by the fourth and fifth stages which will be completed in 2014 (1435). Prince Naif will then head for the Emergency Forces headquarters in Arafat to hold a press conference. General Saad Al-Khulaywi, Assistant Commander of Haj Security Forces for Crowd Management, said all the forces are ready. He said that from Nov. 7, 20 percent of the personnel were on duty, and 50 percent will be operating by Nov. 14. All forces will be operational when pilgrims come from Arafat. He said there will be coordinated efforts by the various security agencies to get as many pilgrims to their camps as quickly as possible. General Muhammad Al-Shahrani, Commander of the Haj Command and Control Center, said the center has been tasked with monitoring pilgrims from a number of additional cameras installed at the holy sites. A number of cameras at the Jamarat Bridge and pilgrims' housing in Mina are linked to the center. General Khidr Al-Zahrani, Assistant Haj Security Commander for Criminal Security, said their task includes preventive security which is concerned with investigation of cases, arrests, security checks and referral to the relevant authorities. Another function of his task force is to guard important facilities with an increased number of criminal security officers and personnel. He added that women personnel will also be working, in accordance with Shariah rules, at women-only areas at the Holy Sites. Brigadier Ali Al-Ghamdi, Commander of Haj and Umrah Special Forces, said his administration will manage crowds in Makkah and the Holy Sites and inside the Haram. The forces will separate pedestrians and vehicles, prevent squatting and organize crowds at the nine train stations at the Holy Sites. Brigadier Khaled Bin Qarar Al-Harbi, Commander of Special Emergency Forces, said the forces will be present in Mina and at the Jamarat Bridge. They are ready for any action required, he said, adding that they will also be organizing the movement of pilgrims at the Jamarat Bridge, in Muzdalifa and Mount Al-Rahma. General Sulaiman Al-Amr, Commander of the Haj Civil Defense Forces, said Civil Defense departments in Jeddah, Taif and Jamoom are on alert to back up Haj units if required. He said more than 1,950 officers and privates, forming 92 firefighting and rescue units, are deployed for this year's Haj.
