Hajj 2023 preparations complete, officials say

Makkah municipality is ready to welcome one of the world's biggest gatherings of people

Yemeni Muslims prepare to board a flight heading to Makkah. AFP

A passport control officer checks the travel documents of a Palestinian pilgrim at the Rafah crossing point with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP

Iraqi pilgrims prepare to fly to Makkah for Haj, at Baghdad airport. AP Photo

Palestinian pilgrims at the Rafah crossing point with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP

Husin bin Nisan, right, bids farewell to relatives before departure for the Hajj pilgrimage at his house in Tangerang, Indonesia. AP Photo

Saadiha Khaliq with books she read to prepare for her pilgrimage, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Khaliq family plan to travel together to Makkah in Saudi Arabia for Hajj. AP Photo

Iraqi pilgrims walk around the model of Kaaba during a lecture on performing the Hajj rituals in Tikrit, Iraq. AP Photo

Syrian pilgrims register for a training session on how to perform Hajj rituals in Hazzanu, Idlib province. AFP

A Syrian man bids an elderly woman farewell as Hajj pilgrims board a bus in Sarmada on the first leg of their journey to Saudi Arabia. AFP

A man bids another farewell as pilgrims board a bus in Sarmada town before leaving for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. AFP

People bid relatives farewell as pilgrims board a bus in Sarmada town in Syria's north-western Idlib province. AFP

Muslim pilgrims arriving from north-western Syrian areas pass baggage checks at the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey. AFP

Pilgrims arrive at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, as they prepare to fly to Saudi Arabia. AFP

A Kashmiri pilgrim waves goodbye. EPA

A pilgrim is embraced by her relative before leaving for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. AFP

The first flights from Malaysia have arrived in Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Route Initiative. SPA

It has been expanded to Turkey and the Ivory Coast this year, joining Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco and Bangladesh. SPA

All Hajj pilgrims this year must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and aged under 65. AFP

They must also present a negative PCR test conducted within 72 hours of their departure flight. AFP

A pilgrim takes his luggage after inspection in Baghdad. AFP

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for every Muslim. AFP

The municipality of Makkah in Saudi Arabia has completed its preparations for this year's Hajj season as more flights carrying pilgrims land in the kingdom for the annual pilgrimage.

Hajj officials told The National that all “preparations have been made, trainings have been completed, with quality checks in place, and all services have been implemented to serve” the pilgrims.

Emergency units and support teams will be available 24 hours a day for Hajj pilgrims.

The units will be equipped with highly qualified and trained staff, as well as high-tech equipment to deal with emergency situations such as fire or heavy rain.

All resources will be employed in co-operation with government entities, security forces and volunteers.

According to a municipality representative, 22,000 people have been recruited this year to implement Hajj plans and procedures.

Food and water checks

Hajj season is due to begin on June 26, with more than two million pilgrims expected to partake in the holy pilgrimage. Ensuring sanitised food and drink options is of prime importance during the hot summer month.

“In the area of licensing, compliance, and monitoring of food shops, the municipality has set up teams and committees to monitor markets, food shops, restaurants” with round-the-clock checks, to ensure the safety of foods, an official spokesman for the municipality said.

Modern mobile laboratories with high-tech equipment will analyse food and water samples, issue test results quickly, conduct laboratory analysis of all food samples and confiscate damaged materials.

“Food hygiene and freshness are key priorities for us in Mina,” Faisal Gazwani, a Hajj operator, told The National.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (Mewa) on Monday announced that it is implementing a plan to ensure that demand for livestock in the local market is met during Hajj.

Mewa allowed the import of about 333,000 sheep and 10,000 camels between May 21 and 28.

Muslims the world over celebrate the first day of Eid Al Adha with an animal sacrifice.

This act honours the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son for God.

Al Zamazima Company has also launched the Zamzam electronic platform to deliver Zamzam water bottles to pilgrims' accommodation.

Rayan Zamzami, deputy general supervisor, said that the Zamzam platform will contain a database of all pilgrims.

Millions of pilgrims visit the Zamzam well each year while performing Hajj or Umrah.

Pilgrims must register on the platform and upon delivery a confirmation message will be received.