JEDDAH: The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) is to make 10 main recommendations to improve pilgrim services at King Abdul Aziz International Airport's North and South terminals after officials toured the facilities Thursday. A lack of free water, expensive food and refreshments, no help from officials and a dearth of information in the languages of pilgrims were all noted, along with pilgrims forced to wait long hours due to flight delays or their companies taking them unnecessarily early to the terminals. The NSHR recommended that a single office should be opened with representatives from all government bodies relevant to pilgrim services, that water should be supplied free of charge by the General Authority of Civil Aviation, that a single outlet should be opened for official Zamzam water distributors, and that Haj missions should have representatives available at the airport to assist pilgrims with their departures. Other areas requiring attention, NSHR officials said, were cuts in the water supply in bathrooms, and airlines' failures to provide comfort and meals to their passengers in the event of flight delays. Further criticisms concerned the lack of a representative of Haj Affairs from the Ministry of Haj to help persons on Umrah visas who had stayed on for the Haj pilgrimage. Many were found sleeping at the airport as they waited for flight reservations home. The NSHR in Madina said its report would be presented to the Central Haj Committee, the Ministry of Haj, and the General Authority of Civil Aviation, and that meetings would be held with officials to “avoid what we have seen occurring again in the future”.
