Shaalan: Pilgrims without a camp holding direct visas outside the tourism quota were hosted to protect them from the sun
By Akram Medhat
With the start of the Hajj rituals and the standing at Arafat today, the tourism Hajj mission continues to carry out its role of following up on the pilgrims' conditions and checking on them during their stay at Arafat, verifying the level of services provided and dealing with any problems that may arise. The Arafat committees will continue their work until the pilgrims' departure to Muzdalifah is complete.
In a related context, Mohamed Shaalan, head of the tourism Hajj mission, said the committees today dealt with a number of complaints, including a group of pilgrims without a camp. He noted that a check of their visas showed they were direct visas and not part of the tourism quota. The mission made a point of handling the situation, especially as there were elderly pilgrims among them, by hosting them in the camp to protect them from exposure to the sun and providing them with drinks and food.
Inside the Mission's Operations Room
Mohamed Bakr, head of the operations room of the Tourism Hajj Affairs Office, said some complaints were received about air conditioners breaking down in some camps; the mutawwif in charge was summoned and the problem was resolved immediately. He added that the mission received at its headquarters a number of lost elderly pilgrims, and the tourism companies they belong to were contacted to return them to their families.
Bakr affirmed that the movement of pilgrims to Arafat was successful, and that all problems that arose concerning the delay of a number of buses were dealt with in coordination with the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Tawafa Establishment. He noted that the Hajj mission's committees have begun preparing for Muzdalifah and then heading to Mina, stressing that there will be no leniency with any company that violates its obligations to pilgrims.
Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Housing and head of the official Hajj mission, had praised the preparations of the tourism Hajj mission and the arrangements made in the Arafat camps, particularly for overland Hajj, whose standard has improved remarkably and is higher than in previous years.
Tourism Pilgrims Report
It is worth noting that the tourism Hajj mission's report stated that the total number of tourism pilgrims in Mecca and Medina reached 35,844, with 6 natural deaths and 15 sick cases still in hospital, the medical mission having been notified to follow up on them. The report also included 4 missing cases, and the Interior Ministry's executive mission and the official mission of the Arab Republic of Egypt were notified in order to take the necessary security measures with the Saudi authorities.
Pilgrims' Camp Preparations
For his part, Ashraf Waheed, a member of the general assembly of the Chamber of Tourism Companies, said tourism companies began moving pilgrims to the holy sites in a single-trip system and contracted modern buses to transport the guests of the Most Merciful around the holy sites. They also engaged a group of preachers to accompany pilgrims throughout their stay at the holy sites, contracting a large group of clerics to answer pilgrims' questions and inquiries.
He added that the camps in Mina and Arafat were supplied with water, drinks, and dry and hot meals, and that companies distributed "stickers" bearing the pilgrim's name, the company organizing their program, their nationality and their place of residence, noting that all tourism pilgrims' camps are air-conditioned and fireproof.
