King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has been at the forefront of providing an extensive infrastructure for Haj pilgrims. These include the building of tunnels, widening of roads, extension of tent areas, expansion of water facilities and other utilities. It is indeed a challenging task to manage the visit of around two million Hajis in the Kingdom every year. Expatriates living in the Kingdom are an important bridge between the host country and the pilgrims' home countries, and view the Kingdom's Haj efforts with appreciation and with some useful suggestions. “The host country and the home countries of Hajis can play a greater role in avoiding or at least minimizing accidents. The new SR4.5 billion multitier extension project of the Jamarat Bridge will indeed ease the flow of Hajis at that critical point of the pilgrimage,” said Eng. Syed Ehsan-ul-Haque, a Pakistani expat in Jeddah who performed Haj in 2005, when thousands of pilgrims rushed to complete the stoning ritual, causing a stampede despite the attempts of the authorities to prevent such an incident. Expressing appreciation for security arrangements at the Jamarat site, he, however, said most of the personnel appeared to be too young and inexperienced. Recalling his Haj experience, Haque said that when he reached the edge of the Jamarat Bridge at 12:15 P.M. on 12 Dhul-Hijja, security officials stopped the crowd for about 40 minutes so that the earlier group of pilgrims could complete their round of stoning. “A computerized display instructed us to ‘wait for 30 minutes – Jamarat is crowded'. Eventually, when we were asked to proceed at 1 P.M., thousands of pilgrims ran towards the first bridge. Many people with their luggage and wheel chairs retreated when security forces pushed them and this led to a stampede,” he said. He said movement at the Jamarat site should not be stopped for a long time as doing so leads to pushing among the crowd. “The bridge should have electric escalators to maintain the flow of pilgrims by regulating the speed of the crowd. In case of an emergency, security officers and volunteers can halt the escalators and provide a safe exit for Hajis to their camps,” Haque said. He suggested the government should publish books on Haj rituals that are as per the latest rulings of the Ulemas. Rashad Ali, a Sri Lankan living in Jeddah, described the communication barrier between pilgrims and the authorities as a major issue. “Saudi authorities should seek volunteers and security personnel from other countries, who have some expertise in the handling of people, with the ability to communicate in several languages, particularly English,” he said. According to Ali, since pilgrims generally stay for 35 days in the Kingdom, the time prior to the start of Haj should be used for providing practical advice and training to enable pilgrims to perform a safe Haj. “The Directorate of Haj should organize practical training sessions for different groups of pilgrims. Moreover, sessions in Arabic can help pilgrims to a great extent,” he added. Anwar Muhammad, an Indonesian expat, said that ‘muallims' (Haj operators) need to be trained and must possess enough skills to facilitate the pilgrims' stay. “They (Haj operators) should not behave as though they are the sponsors of Hajis, when in fact they are the caretakers or the guardians,” said Muhammad. “Haj authorities should collect feedback from pilgrims about various aspects of their stay here, such as, transportation, airline services, etc. They should be given a chance to make suggestions. This will help the Haj Ministry to make improvements,” he added. Haque said that in Pakistan, Haj pilgrims are chosen through a lottery after which the Saudi Embassy issues visas to the selected persons following a few hours of training in ‘Haj camps'. “The Haj ministry of Pakistan should have training schools, where pilgrims are given two weeks of comprehensive audio/visual training and undergo a qualifying test (mainly oral) after their selection through the draw,” he said, adding that doing so would ensure that pilgrims learn the practical aspects of Haj. Farhat Rahim, a housewife, recalled her Haj experience in which she got lost and was unable to locate her camp. “It is very difficult to locate camps as their numbers are not properly displayed. Moreover, a lack of knowledge about the roads, etc., adds to the confusion,” said Rahim. She suggested that each street be assigned a specific number. Rehan Khan, a Canadian expat living in Jeddah, stressed the importance of maintaining hygiene in toilets, kitchens and other utilities. “Enclosed toilets are not sufficient for all pilgrims. Additional open half-walled cubicles for urination occupy less space and serve more users in a shorter time. Hence, the need for enclosed toilets will be reduced.” Rahim Abdul-Haq, a Pakistani expat, suggested that the grouping of pilgrims be done in the camps itself. “A circular tramway (low speed train) should be installed in Arafat. This would not only ensure the safe arrival and departure of pilgrims, but would also reduce traffic jams.” He added: “Helicopters and mobile dispensaries should be used for critical medical services and emergency cases. There should be toll free numbers for emergency contacts and various consulates.” Referring to the permits of local Hajis, Abdullah Muhammad, a Malaysian teacher, said strict checks should be maintained on entry points. “After Haj, those exiting car parking lots or leaving by bus, etc., should be checked and the year of Haj stamped on their Iqama. This would prevent them from performing Haj for the next five years,” he said. However, he said, the government should ease permits for those who have to accompany as ‘Mehram' their wife or parents, who are making their first pilgrimage. Eng. Wali-ullah, chairman of the advisory board of the Engineers Welfare Forum Jeddah (EWFJ), said the hassle one faces at the Haj terminals at the time of landing and departure is a major inconvenience for pilgrims. “When a passenger comes out of the airport there are agents ready to grab his passport. The agent then disappears with the pilgrim's passport for a long time leaving the pilgrim in a vulnerable position,” said Wali-ullah. He said the whole procedure should be made more pilgrim-friendly to avoid any confusion. “Pilgrims usually have to wait for as long as ten hours before they can go to Makkah. This can be very painful as they are carrying their luggage.” He said that lost and found points and relevant services should be improved by increasing the number of such points and by providing personnel who can communicate in more than one language. “There should be many guiding signs for various facilities and in many languages. For the elderly and sick pilgrims, proper vehicles, preferably small cars, must be provided at various points, such as, in Mina, Muzdalifa and Arafat.
