MAKKAH — As part of Saudi Arabia's efforts to ensure a successful Hajj season with the utmost comfort for pilgrims, significant amounts of electricity and desalinated water are being supplied to the holy sites to meet the essential needs of pilgrims without interruption throughout the season. The Saudi Water Authority (SWA) has said that more than 3 billion liters of fresh water were pumped to Makkah and the holy sites during the Tarwiah and Arafat days, as well as the first day of Eid Al-Adha. This achievement is part of the SWA's operational plan to ensure the comfort and well-being of pilgrims during the current Hajj season. The Saudi Electricity Company announced the addition of mobile stations with a voltage of 110 kilovolts, costing SR60 million, as a new source of electrical energy completed in May 2024, in addition to the existing network. The project extends over a network exceeding 4 kilometers, with a total station capacity of 147 MVA. Additionally, projects for subscriber connections in the central area of Mecca and the holy sites cost more than SR166 million. Projects to enhance medium and low voltage at a cost exceeding SR36 million and network replacement and automation projects for distribution stations in the central area of Mecca and the holy sites cost SR46 million. Furthermore, the company implemented a subscriber connection project in pilgrim housing areas, costing more than SR6 million, along with several other distribution projects that contribute to improving electricity distribution, enhancing service stability, and effectively meeting the needs of pilgrims. This includes the creation of 22 maintenance team launch centers in Arafat, with a total cost exceeding SR25 million, and 6 launch centers in Mina and Muzdalifah at a cost of over SR9 million to ensure the rapid response of technical teams to reports. Additionally, a building adjacent to the operations and control center was constructed at a cost exceeding SR18 million, along with 8 housing buildings for staff at the transformer stations, costing more than SR8 million. Regarding water, the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture indicated that over 2,000 employees are working to provide water services to pilgrims this year. The daily pumping rate exceeds 750,000 cubic meters in Mecca, reaching up to 1 million cubic meters during peak days of Arafat and Eid. The water storage capacity has reached 3.2 million cubic meters, and around 4,100 laboratory tests are conducted daily to ensure the quality of water provided to the pilgrims. The ministry has launched 10 projects exceeding SR158 million to develop infrastructure and support water supply.
