MINA: “Oh my son, if you die at the holy sites, Allah will accept you as a martyr.” These are the words the father of Ghanem Al-Qahtani, a Saudi scout, told him before he left for Makkah to help Haj pilgrims. Al-Qahtani, 18, who arrived at the holy sites two weeks ago, was carrying out services at Haj for the first time. He said he only wanted Allah's reward for the work. “I feel fulfilled when I guide pilgrims in the right direction. It's one of the most noble jobs in the world,” he said. The scouts have been carrying out an essential service during Haj. They come from all parts of the Kingdom. They face many challenges. “Some pilgrims have no idea how to perform Haj, while others don't know any language but their mother tongue, so sometimes we have to deal with them using sign language,” he said. He said some pilgrims insist on sitting in the yard of the Al-Jamarat, creating congestion. They also bring blankets and heavy bags with food and drink. “Our role is to collect this stuff from them and to inform them not to repeat this behavior,” he said. He said learning to speak English will be one of his priorities when preparing for next year's Haj. He said he had dreamt about coming to Makkah 10 years ago, and his dream has finally come true.
