Haj security operations would be stepped up with 3,000 more men deployed this season, said Lt. Ali Al-Nefie, chief of Haj security force. In all, 38,000 security men will be deployed to execute the 2008 Haj's security plan, an increase of 3,000 men from last year's plan, he said. Separately, the Grand Mosque security force will be supported by 3,000 men too, he said. The Haj security plan is due to take off on Nov. 23, he said. The force will be deployed across the holy sites and entry points of Makkah. Security men at entry points will deny entry to any pilgrim without a Haj permission. . Dirt roads leading to Makkah are being closely monitored to stop illegal pilgrims from slipping to Makkah. Haj security forces will be very strict this time about stopping the recurring Haj problem of pilgrims squatting out in the open instead of the designated accommodations zones. As for other preparation for a trouble-free Haj, changes have been made to traffic flow and crowd movements during the Jamarat stoning. A SR520 million project for the Jamarat Bridge's third phase of expansion will be finished by mid-November, according to Habeeb Zain Al-Abdeen, Deputy Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs. This will link the bridge's third story to four escalators, allowing pilgrims coming from Al-Moaessim and the western and eastern Al-Shoaiban to conveniently reach the Jamarat area. To exit to the ground floor, pilgrims will use seven escalators at the western side of the Jamarat. The multistory bridge's capacity this year is estimated at 300,000 pilgrims per hour. – Okaz __
