Samia Samy, Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Companies Affairs and head of the tourism Hajj mission, confirmed that the mission has declared a state of maximum emergency in preparation for moving the pilgrims of tourism companies, who number 40,672 this year, to the plain of Arafat.
She explained that the ascent is being carried out in full coordination with the Saudi authorities, with adherence to the set timings and routes, to ensure smooth movement and the safety of pilgrims.
She added that the central operations room is monitoring the ascent around the clock in cooperation with company supervisors, and that lists have been prepared of the pilgrims' names, the buses assigned to each group and their camps, stressing immediate intervention to solve any problem during the ascent. She affirmed that Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy is following the pilgrims' situation around the clock and has issued directives to provide them with all facilities.
The tourism Hajj mission declared a state of maximum emergency in preparation for moving company pilgrims to the plain of Arafat to perform the greatest pillar of Hajj, the standing at Arafah, tomorrow, Thursday. The mission has made all preparations and arrangements to ensure the pilgrims' ascent goes smoothly, in addition to following up on them throughout their stay on the plain of Arafat and at the holy sites of Muzdalifah and Mina.
Tourism companies begin this afternoon moving their pilgrims to the Arafat camps across all levels and programs of tourism Hajj, "five-star, economy and overland". Vehicles to transport all pilgrims have been prepared near their places of residence, and, as has been customary for years with all Egyptian Hajj missions, pilgrims are moved directly to Arafat without performing Tarwiyah tonight at Mina. This comes out of concern for the pilgrims' comfort and safety, to apply the plans prepared for the ascent away from crowding and to ensure that pilgrims reach their camps with ease. A small number of tourism companies that organize the so-called "Sunnah Hajj" have, since the early hours of this morning, moved their pilgrims to Mina to spend the night there, to be moved to the plain of Arafat at dawn tomorrow, Thursday, in full coordination with the mission as well as the Saudi mutawwifs.
The tourism Hajj mission has begun field tours through joint committees of mission members from the ministry and the Chamber, which have been distributed across the pilgrims' places of residence to follow up on their ascent. These committees will also be distributed across the pilgrims' camps in Mina and Arafat, to follow up on more than 41,000 tourism pilgrims, who represent the great majority of Egyptian Hajj, at about 52% of the total number of Egyptian pilgrims this year.
