Okaz/Saudi Gazette HOLY SITES — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has directed pertinent authorities to submit a study after this year's Haj showing how the services at the Holy Sites could be developed, said Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, adviser to the King, and chairman of the Central Haj Committee. Different projects have been implemented in the Holy Sites to facilitate pilgrimage and performance of other rituals. "Makkah is a top priority for the King and the Crown Prince. So far we have not reached our expectations of the Holy Sites. However, based on the level of services this year, we can say that we are on the right track. We hope that the future projects will meet the expectations of the King and the citizens," said Prince Khaled. In response to detractors who criticize the Kingdom despite the excellent services it provides to pilgrims, he said, "Let them keep talking and let us keep working to serve the Guests of Allah." What is being said about the Kingdom and its status aims to detract from the great status and position of the Kingdom and the high-quality services it delivers to pilgrims. "We work to serve our religion, our country and the Guests of Allah and offer services to help pilgrims perform the Haj rituals with comfort and ease and worship Allah in peace." Over 253,000 people without a Haj permit were stopped at various check points while 109,000 cars that violated Haj regulations were fined and 41 fake Haj campaigns were nabbed. Prince Khaled commended citizens and expatriates who cooperated with authorities and reported violations to protect the security and safety of pilgrims. Speaking about the projects implemented in Makkah over the past years, he said: "Numerous projects were given priority in terms of implementation such as the train project, road projects, Mina projects. New streets and more toilets were added in Mina and the Holy Sites." The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has designed new plans for this season to ensure that everything goes as planned. The "Haj is a Worship and Civilized Behavior" campaign aims to emphasize the meaning of Islam, he said, adding that the campaign achieved its goals and raised public awareness about the true meaning of Haj. The emir was briefed on the services provided by the National Water Company to pilgrims and the new system installed by the company to monitor water level inside the network and reservoirs.
