Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Hajj pilgrims completed on Thursday their rituals during the second exceptional pilgrimage of its kind since the outbreak of coronavirus. The pilgrimage was held amid unprecedented measures and the application of physical distancing to prevent the spread of the pandemic and ended without recording any cases of infection. The Saudi Ministry of Health announced the grand success of its meticulously planned and elaborately implemented health plans for this year's Hajj, stating that the Hajj season was free from outbreaks of coronavirus or any other epidemic diseases. There were over 150 hours since the time of receiving the pilgrims in the tent city of Mina one night before the Day of Tarwiyah until their departure to the Grand Mosque of Makkah for the farewell circumambulation, marking the end of the pilgrimage season. This period was scripted as the best success story in managing and organizing a religious ritual amid the unprecedented pandemic situation. The Kingdom was keen to establish the Islamic ritual in a smooth and easier way while the entire world has been suffering from the repercussions of the pandemic. Saudi Arabia has made a resounding success in facilitating nearly 60,000 pilgrims to perform their rituals in ease and comfort in a unique spiritual ambiance during this exceptional year's pilgrimage. Pilgrims from 150 nationalities, who are residents of Saudi Arabia, participated in the ritual of stoning at the three Jamarat in Mina during the last day of the Hajj and performed the farewell circumambulation of the Holy Kaaba on the designated paths, marking the end of the annual rituals. The pilgrims were received by employees of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques in a careful follow-up of their scheduled movement within the framework of the preventive measures amid periodic sterilization of mataf and the rest of the corners and squares of the Grand Mosque in Makkah. Ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the focus of the competent Saudi authorities was on organizing a hassle-free and safe Hajj, which is one of the largest human gatherings in the world. Authorities facilitated pilgrims to perform their rituals while ensuring their safety from coronavirus or any health impact that may harm them with the campaign theme "Safe and healthy Hajj." Accordingly, the authorities approved a set of precise protocols pertaining to the pilgrims' transportation, meals, accommodation, and healthcare. Faced with an unprecedented challenge, the authorities concerned with Hajj affairs relied heavily on digitization processes and made the most of advanced technologies in bringing down the human involvement to the minimum in crowd management and organizing Hajj so as to ensure the safety of pilgrims and the health of those who were engaged in serving them. An innovative package of projects and programs were employed in the digital Hajj system, and these included smart cards, robots and digital wristwatches, while artificial intelligence played the most important role in organizing this year's Hajj season. Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz Bin Saud Bin Naif, who is also the chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee, stressed that this year's exceptional Hajj season is a model for developing the Hajj journey using modern technologies and advanced methods to move steadily towards achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The security situation did not witness anything disrupting the pilgrimage. Similarly, no epidemic or quarantine cases were recorded. Minister of Health Tawfiq Al-Rabiah on Thursday reported the success of the health plans during the Hajj season, stressing that it was free from coronavirus and other epidemics. In a press statement, Al-Rabiah said that an integrated system of health facilities has been activated at the holy sites, noting that the Ministry of Health has mobilized qualified and trained health cadres to serve the pilgrims. The minister stressed that the early efforts and precautionary measures in dealing with the pandemic health situation during this year's Hajj season, which required limiting the performance of Hajj to 60,000 vaccinated pilgrims, have contributed immensely to maintaining the health and safety of pilgrims. Leaders and officials of the Gulf and Islamic countries hailed the healthy and safe atmosphere in which the Hajj rituals were held despite the exceptional challenges caused by the pandemic and its mutated variants. They thanked the Saudi leadership for its great efforts in serving the pilgrims and its keenness to establish the fifth pillar of Islam through facilitating the performance of the rituals by pilgrims in a smooth and comfortable manner. This is through following the exemplary procedures featuring the highest standards of health, safety, and comfort thanks to the concerted efforts of all organizations and agencies in the security, health and service realms.
