Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region and the Chairman of the Central Haj Committee, holds up a document as he speaks during an annual news conference briefing reporters on the conclusion of the main rites of Haj in Mina, Sunday. — Reuters Saudi Gazette report
MINA – Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region and the Chairman of the Central Haj Committee, admitted here Sunday that illegal pilgrims were the bane of an otherwise successful Haj season. There were between 1,300,000-1,400,000 pilgrims with no Haj permits this year and they used services they were not entitled to, Prince Khaled said in a press conference. Although the Central Department of Statistics and Information stated that 3,161,000 pilgrims performed Haj this year, there is other data based on the number of pilgrims who used the Jamarat Bridge on the first day of Eid Al-Adha, which shows that more than 3,657,000 pilgrims used the bridge, the Emir said. This means that there is a huge difference in both statistics; the latter number is close to four million, he pointed out. Unfortunately, this discrepancy in data shows that the number of pilgrims who performed Haj without permits was huge. These are the very pilgrims who sleep on the streets and result in many problems. Most of them are expatriates who live here, Prince Khaled said. Regarding fencing the holy sites to prevent the entry of illegal pilgrims, Prince Khaled said the Council of Ministers approved a study to fence the sites and a Royal Decree was issued last Ramadan. “If we can control the points of entry at Arafat, we'll reduce the chances of pilgrims without Haj permits entering the holy sites. I announce that the study has been approved and we are going to implement it. We also have projects which we will implement immediately after Haj.” He said penalties on illegal pilgrims were not properly implemented this year. Next year, penalties will be clearer and will be implemented sternly because illegal pilgrims affect the services provided to bona fide pilgrims. It also affects the entire Haj season and the services provided by the government, Prince Khaled said. The Emir, however, said that despite the huge number of illegal pilgrims, this year's Haj plan had been the most successful ever. He said the real message the Kingdom wants to present through Haj is the fact that Islam is the religion of peace, love, and coexistence. Regrettably, this message does not get enough focus. The international media does not focus on the great message of Haj, the Emir noted. “Haj committees don't have to comment on everything the international media says. Sometimes there is false information. The most important thing is constructive criticism. We welcome it from everyone. We thank everyone who writes about us. If we want reform, we should start with ourselves first before reforming others. But if false and fabricated information seeks to distort the beautiful picture, it does not concern us,” he added. Commenting on Haj packages, Prince Khaled said the Central Haj Committee would meet on Nov. 11 to assess the services provided to pilgrims and review the shortcomings. When asked whether there was a management problem in operating the Mashair Train, the Emir said it was an operational problem. Any project takes time before it becomes complete. Regarding the delay in transporting pilgrims at the terminals of the train station, Prince Khaled said there was a problem and a committee was formed to study it. “We're waiting for the results. I don't know if we can call it an operational problem. But, no doubt, those responsible for the problem will be held accountable.”
