Saudi Arabia ready for Eid Al Adha sacrifices

Government reminds people to follow health guidelines and book appointments at official slaughterhouses on Saturday

Sheep waiting to be loaded on to lorries at Jeddah Islamic Port in Saudi Arabia. Salah Malkawi / The National

Saudi Arabia has completed all preparations at slaughterhouses ahead of Eid Al Adha, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture said on Wednesday.

The ministry said that public slaughterhouses in Makkah were now ready to receive pilgrims and provide the best services during Eid Al Adha on Saturday.

Muslims around the world will mark the first day of the holiday by sacrificing an animal and dividing the meat between the family, friends and the poor.

The ministry asked people to ensure they book an electronic appointment for the slaughterhouses that are approved for the slaughter of sacrificial animals in Makkah or through the charity Nama in Riyadh, Makkah and Madinah.

They also reminded people that vehicles carrying sheep must have ventilation to ensure the safety and health of the sacrificial animal and that no more than five people are allowed in a car delivering an animal for sacrifice.

Citizens and residents have been sharing apps approved by the government on social media platforms.

Station Sacrifices, one such app, says it provides fresh sacrifices and meat directly from its own farms "where our sheep are grazed in a completely pure environment away from any pollutants or chemical interventions that affect the quality of their meat and to ensure that the customer receives fresh sacrifices and meat and according to the highest standards of quality and food safety" in a timely manner.

Saudi workers put the final touches to the kiswa, the drape that covers the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure at the heart the Grand Mosque, in Makkah. AP

A Muslim pilgrim arrives at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP

A child plays outside the Grand Mosque. AFP

Pilgrims feed cats on Jabal Al Noor in Makkah. AFP

Pilgrims pray on Jabal Al Noor. AFP

Muslim pilgrims are pictured at Jabal Al Noor. AFP

Muslim pilgrims climb Jabal Al Noor. AFP

A Bangladeshi pilgrim poses for a selfie in front of the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque. AP

Pigeons surround pilgrims outside the Grand Mosque. AP

Embroiderer Ahmed Othman El Kassabgy, right, whose family produces the Kiswa, the cloth used to cover the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque, supervises an employee who works on a replica drape to be sold as a souvenir in Cairo, Egypt. AFP

Saudi policemen monitor cameras at the Grand Mosque ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage. AP

Saudi policewoman Samah Mohammed receives a call at the Saudi National Centre for Security Operations ahead of Hajj. AP

Makkah is set to host more than one million people, including 850,000 from abroad, for the hajj pilgrimage. AFP

Saudi security forces take part in a parade in Makkah. AFP

The Grand Mosque. AFP

Saudi honor guards line up during a parade in preparation for the Hajj pilgrimage. AP

Muslim worshippers read from the Quran at the Grand Mosque. AFP

Muslim worshippers gather at the Grand Mosque. AFP

Worshippers gather before the Kaaba, the sacred cube-shaped building at the centre of the Grand Mosque. AFP

Worshippers arrive at the Grand Mosque. AFP

Worshippers arrive at the Grand Mosque. AFP

Worshippers arrive at the Grand Mosque. AFP

Worshippers arrive at the Grand Mosque. AFP

Pilgrims offer prayers before Hajj. SPA

Pilgrims arrive in Madinah. SPA

Pilgrims offer prayers. SPA

Coachloads of pilgrims arrive in Madinah. SPA

Pilgrims at prayer. SPA

Moroccan pilgrims arrive at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. SPA

Hajj pilgrims from Sudan arrive at Jeddah Port. SPA