RIYADH — The Prophet's Mosque in Madinah has witnessed a huge crowd of visitors, reaching about 10.3 million worshippers during the first of the third of Ramadan. Madinah welcomed the visitors and worshippers amid a system of services supervised by the Madinah Municipality, as there are 675,983 visitors who greeted the Prophet, PBUH, and his two companions, may Allah be pleased with them. Moreover, about 2.3 million Iftar meals have been distributed to fasting people, in addition to providing 1 million Zamzam water bottles. The agency of the Prophet's Mosque receives visitors and worshipers 24 hours a day, in addition to taking into account the opening of the roof of the Prophet's Mosque in conjunction with the density of visitors and worshipers. This is in addition to its readiness of grouping visitors into the new western squares in the event that the capacity of the Prophet's Mosque is completed. The agency furnishes carpets inside the Prophet's Mosque by 100%, including also the courtyards and the roof, according to the density of visitors and worshipers. It also prepared the prayer areas and secured what visitors need, such as Qur'an and Zamzam water, as well as it has prepared facilities and toilets to serve visitors around the clock. It is worth mentioning that the agency had intensified its preparations in organizing Iftar meals in the Prophet's Mosque. The agency also put in place the necessary mechanisms to facilitate the entry of Iftar meals for men, through several gates, namely: the old campus — Bab Al-Rahma 3; gate 4,5,37 in the southern side; gate 8,11 in the western side; gate 34,32 in the eastern side, and gate 21, 17, 19 in the northern side. As for the Iftar entry for women, it was determined that it be through the eastern prayer area, gates 25 and 29, and the western prayer area, gates 13 and 17. The agency also contributes to organizing prayer times in the Nusuk application, noting that entry to the Rawdah Sharif at the Prophet's Mosque for men and women who are holding permits, is from the southern courtyards opposite Gate 37. The time of grouping men and women must adhere to the following date: men able to visit Rawdah Sharif from 1 Ramadan until 19 Ramadan from 2.30. a.m. until Fajr prayer, then from 11:30 a.m. until Ishaa prayer. Women are able to visit the Rawdah Sharif after Fajr prayer until 11:00 a.m., then from 11:00 PM until 2:00 p.m. It is noteworthy that the Madinah's police and traffic department are working hard to facilitate the flow of traffic, which witnessed in the first third of Ramadan a smooth flow of traffic on the roads leading to the Prophet's Mosque and the sites of visits, including the Quba Mosque, the Sayyid Al-Shuhada Mosque and the Al Qiblatayn Mosque. As for the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, it continues its work around the clock to receive and guide visitors through Prince Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport and land ports, with the aim of facilitating the arrival of visitors to their place of residence.
