MAKKAH: With the Saudi government investing billions of dollars in recent years to make Haj pilgrimage safer and more comfortable, many pilgrims end up going home as goodwill ambassadors for the country. “We have to thank Saudi Arabia for their services. It's getting better and better every year,” said Ritha Naji, an American pilgrim performing a “stoning of the devil” rite that has been the scene of numerous deadly crushes in recent years. This year's Haj drew a record 1.8 million foreigners from diverse regions of the world like Nigeria, Russia and Indonesia. During the Haj period, Egyptians, Indians or Pakistanis – who make up the bulk of millions of expatriates in the country – receive markedly kinder treatment from officials who refer to pilgrims as “Guests of Allah.” Polite policemen guide pilgrims around the vast Grand Mosque and loudspeakers give instructions to the multitude in many languages, including English and Persian, as well as Arabic. As pilgrim numbers shot up over the past three decades, staging a safe Haj became crucial for the image of the Kingdom. A series of disasters have claimed hundreds of lives during Haj since 1990, including fires, stampedes, hotel collapses and political protests. This year the government unveiled a train linking the holy sites in and around Makkah that cost $1.8 billion to build. It will only be used some six days a year. “We want to give pilgrims the best possible level of services,” Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, told reporters last week. Thanks to its oil wealth, Saudi Arabia can afford to waive the fees for the services it provides, including drinking water, toilet facilities, medical and security services, as well as maintenance and expansion of the Grand Mosque itself. Cold water is on tap at every corner and medics turn up within minutes when someone collapses. Saudi firms distribute umbrellas as protection from the sun. The plain of Arafat, where pilgrims spend a whole day according to the rites, has a vast sprinkler system covering an area of some 1.3 sq. km. “The Saudi services for pilgrims are really good. One has to say that,” said Mohammed Idam, a Yemeni cooling under the spray in the afternoon heat at Arafat. The efforts pay off in the positive message many pilgrims take home with them. “Our Saudi brothers have expanded many services,” said Moroccan pilgrim Mohammed Hamdush. “Now they've built a train for pilgrims, which is nice.”
