Okaz / Saudi Gazette MAKKAH — Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier, interior minister and chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, has ordered the establishment of a permanent technical committee to supervise the execution of the development and expansion projects of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah with a view to ensuring the highest degree of safety. The prince said the safety and comfort of the pilgrims and visitors have the top priority for the Saudi authorities. Meanwhile, member of the technical committee for the expansion of the mataf area, Wail Saleh Halabi said there was continuous coordination with the departments concerned with mass management to benefit from the completed expansion phases. He said the temporary mataf was constructed within the continuous search for a radical solution to find an alternative for the tawaf (circumambulation) on wheel chairs. He said the temporary mataf was being dismantled because of its adverse visionary effects and its obstruction of the construction of the domes of the old portico. Halabi said the demolition of the makeshift mataf would be done through eight phases each taking about eight days to complete. When the expansion of the mataf area is competed, it would easily accommodate more than 107,000 pilgrims an hour instead of the current 20,000. "About seven percent of the demolition of the temporary bridge has been completed while the first phase was accomplished by about 60 percent," he said. He said they started the dismantling at the western side of the temporary bridge because the eastern side contains the control room for lighting and sound through loud speakers. He said the electric power has been transferred to the original mataf building and therefore there was no negative impact on the process of work.
