Abdullah Al-Dhibyani Okaz/Saudi Gazette MAKKAH — The pilgrims accommodation committee has issued a total of 3,042 permits during the past five months for the accommodation of more than 1.2 million Umrah pilgrims. The committee's chairman, Zuhair Al-Haddad, said the permits were issued to a number of hotels, buildings and towers in various neighborhoods that are within the parameters of the Grand Mosque. “The committee will continue to issue accommodation permits until the end of Shaban (June 17),” he said. The issuance of permits to accommodate pilgrims started on the first of Muharram 1436H (Oct. 25). He said: “The accommodation of pilgrims is not limited to certain areas in Makkah. “The only rule here is that the neighborhood should be within the boundaries of the Holy Haram.” Haddad said development projects have helped demolish a number of old buildings that constituted threats to the safety of pilgrims. He said the committee has about 20 engineering consultancy offices that will check the buildings before they are rented to accommodate the pilgrims. “The pilgrims favor certain areas in Makkah. “About 42 percent of them have opted for accommodation in Al-Aziziyah District while 18 percent favored Al-Otaibiyah and 14 percent the central area around the Haram.” Haddad said even after the deadline for the issuance of the accommodation permits, the new buildings that were under construction at the time of the process can apply to accommodate the pilgrims when they are completed. “The pilgrims always favor new buildings so when these buildings are completed, they can apply for accommodation permits until the beginning of Dhul Hijja (Sept. 14),” he said. Haddad said the committee last year closed down 12 violating buildings and accommodated the pilgrims in other places.
