MINA — Barbers at saloons in Mina for this year's Hajj were highly professional ones as they were chosen from five-star saloons located in the Central Haram Area in Makkah. "We were picked to work at the holy site of Mina after undergoing necessary checks including swab tests and obtaining health certificates, in addition to proving our skills in terms of perfection and speed in doing our work," said Muhammad Othman, one of the barbers. There were five salons in Mina, including four working around the clock and the fifth one as a standby. At first glance, Muhammad appeared to be a staffer of the Ministry of Health, due to his general appearance and the costume he was wearing as part of coronavirus precautionary measure. But the identity of his profession as a barber became evident when he entered the salon after a pilgrim got in to get his shave done. The salon is called "Salaam," which means peace, as it represents the tranquil atmosphere that prevails there. At the salon, both Muhammad and the pilgrim were seen wearing their face masks and gloves. The spacing between two chairs in the hair salon was strictly in line with the protocols approved by the Ministry of Health. The precautions taken by both the hairdressers at the saloon showed as if they were in an operation theater. They cleaned the entire room after finishing the shaving or hair cutting of each pilgrim. Pilgrims had exited from their ihram in a safe and secure manner after reaching these salons during the Hajj. Muhammad has had the opportunity to work in Mina during the last Hajj season also. Describing this year's experiences, he said: "The overwhelming presence of officials from the Ministry of Health was another feature of this year's Hajj. Different officials frequented the salon and follow-up throughout the day." From eight o'clock in the morning until this moment at five o'clock in the evening, we received seven of these officials, who were very keen on the safety of pilgrims, and to ensure that we were fully complying with the health precautions," he added.
