MAKKAH – The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques provides wheelchairs, free of charge, to elderly pilgrims and visitors and people with special needs, said Muhammad Al-Shamrani, Director of the Wheelchairs Administration. Up to 10,000 wheelchairs are distributed in the eastern courtyard and Al-Shubeikah area of the Grand Mosque, where people can be hired to push the wheelchairs from after Asr prayer until midnight. Two hundred electric wheelchairs which can be controlled by the pilgrims are also available and can be requested from Al-Safa Office on the first floor of the Grand Mosque. Al-Shamrani added that the Wheelchairs Administration supervises all matters related to the use of wheelchairs in the Grand Mosque such as giving permits to wheelchair owners and their Saudi helpers and ensuring that the helpers abide by the standard charges for wheelchairs. The administration also oversees the routes allocated to wheelchairs and deploys supervisors at the Mas'a on the ground floor to direct pilgrims using wheelchairs to the allocated route. Al-Shamrani said that in order to counter those using unlicensed wheelchairs to exploit pilgrims, a committee has been formed comprising the Wheelchairs Administration and the Makkah Haram Security Force in order to confront and punish perpetrators. At the conclusion of his statement, Al-Shamrani called on pilgrims to cooperate with the Wheelchairs Administration by safeguarding the wheelchairs handed over to them and to follow the routes allocated to wheelchairs for Tawaf and Sa'iy. Performing Tawaf using a wheelchair is not permitted on the ground floor, but is encouraged on the upper floor which can be reached via escalators and the Ajyad Bridge. Eighteen entrances have been allocated for those using wheelchairs. These include the King Abdul Aziz, New Ajyad, Hunain and Al-Safa gates, apart from the escalators at Al-Marwah, Al-Marwah Gate; Murad, Al-Qararah, Al-Qararah Gate, Mazlagan, Al-Fateh, Al-Fateh Gate, Al-Madinah Gate, as well as gates 64, 74, 84 and 94.
