Hajj 2017 winds down

A total of 2,352,122 pilgrims have completed the five-day Hajj this year. Of these 1.75 million of whom were from outside the kingdom. Just over 1 million came from Asia, almost 33,000 came from GCC countries and the US and Australia together accounted for around 25,000 pilgrims.

Source: The Center for International Communication (CIC), Ministry of Culture and Information, KSA. Pilgrims gather to pray on the Mountain of Mercy in the Plain of Arafat before sunrise. 

More than 1.6 million foreigners arrived by air, most travelling through Jeddah and Madinah, where airports have special terminals dedicated exclusively to handling Hajj pilgrims. These facilities, paid for and constructed by Saudi Arabia, are just one example of the fruits of the tens of billions of dollars Saudi Arabia has invested since the 1950s to improve and enhance access to Makkah, the upkeep of the Grand Mosque, and the Hajj experience itself.

"Welcoming pilgrims from all around the globe is the honour and duty of Saudi Arabia, under the auspices and direct guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. We make every effort and spare no expense in ensuring that pilgrims have a peaceful and fulfilling Hajj," said Dr Awwad Alawwad, the Minister of Culture and Information.

"Whether it is providing lodging at Mina or staffing health facilities or giving pilgrims helpful information bracelets, we do everything we can to take care of those traveling to Makkah. Our efforts to improve this experience are constant and ongoing."

KSA creates a temporary city in Mina to accommodate more than 2 million people every year, and takes steps to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of pilgrims. The air-conditioned tents, constructed of fire-retardant materials, are grouped by nationality.

There were 15 medical centres at Makkah and nearby holy sites, staffed by more than 30,000 trained medical professionals. During the course of Hajj, doctors performed more than 2,600 free surgical procedures, and nearly 60,000 pilgrims received some form of medical treatment.

2017 marked the second consecutive year that pilgrims were issued with individual electronic identification bracelets. Each bracelet contains a pilgrim's personal information and any special medical needs they might have. The devices, which are water-resistant and contain GPS data, also were used to provide pilgrims with up-to-date information on prayer schedules and other details related to Hajj. The bracelets could also be used to connect with a multilingual helpdesk in which more detailed questions could be asked and answered.

The utility of the wrist bracelet was augmented by regular Hajj updates texted by the Saudi organisers to the pilgrims' mobile devices. All information was also updated to two websites dedicated to Hajj 2017: SaudiWelcomesTheWorld.org and Hajj2017.org.

The following list is a representative example of the resources that the Saudi Authorities deployed to ensure a safe and smooth Hajj season: 

• 51,700 staff members representing more than 20 governmental entities working around the clock 
• 14,000 staff members from the Makkah Region Development Authority to facilitate pedestrian movement at the holy sites and operate and maintain the Hajj metro 
• 6,300 staff members from the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque providing cold Zam Zam water for pilgrims at prayer sites 
• 4,480 staff members providing municipal services for pilgrims, citizens and residents in Makkah and the Holy sites 
• 4,470 staff members from the General Department of Passports to prepare and equip the entry ports to receive pilgrims 
• 3,706 scouts providing a wide range of services such as directions to lost pilgrims 
• 2,935 volunteers under the Ministry of Hajj from different nationalities and backgrounds 
• 2,280 Civil Defense staff members for firefighting and emergency rescues, overseeing safety measures and contributing to medical evacuation 
• 1,650 media professionals providing media services and live coverage to more than 104 TV channels and 19 radio stations 
• 1,500 technicians 
• 1,307 staff members and technicians from the National Water Company 
• 279 staff members from the Saudi Food & Drug Authority to ensure food safety 
• 240 inspectors from the Ministry of Labour and Social Development to inspect establishments 
• 130 help desks manned by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance to answer pilgrims' questions in all languages 
• 67 Civil Defense centres in Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites 

One of the oldest pilgrims this year is 104-year-old Ibu Mariah Marghani Muhammad, from Indonesia. She arrived in Jeddah on August 26 and later in the week said in Makkah that her pilgrimage journey was an "experience that I will never forget".

Another young Indonesian pilgrim, Mochammad Kahmim Setiawan, travelled 9,000 km on foot on a yearlong "spiritual adventure" before he arrived for this year's Hajj.

The spirit of Hajj was perhaps best captured by senior Saudi cleric Sheikh Saad Al Shathri in a sermon delivered August 31 at Mount Arafat. He said that one of the primary intentions of Hajj is "to cultivate benevolence in people's hearts. This is no place for partisan slogans or sectarian movements."

The Singapore Haj.SG Facebook page shows examples. Haj.SG reported that the Singapore Pilgrims Affairs' Office (SPAO) clinic in Shisha had run out of oxygen and was unable to purchase more as shops and pharmacies were closed. Tabung Haji Malaysia stepped in to replenish the oxygen within 30 minutes. According to Haj.SG, temperatures on Arafat reached 52 C on 31 August.

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