Khaled Al-Humaidi Okaz/Sudi Gazette MAKKAH — The Pilgrims Housing Committee has issued 4,351 permits for buildings until Tuesday to accommodate pilgrims in Makkah during this year's Haj. The committee's chairman, Zuhair Al-Haddad, the buildings contain a total of 348,171 rooms with facilities for about 1.7 million pilgrims. At least 168 of the buildings are newly constructed. With 2,736 apartments, they can accommodate 122,033 pilgrims, he said. Al-Haddad said about 37 percent of the licensed buildings are in Al-Aziziah district, 21 percent in Al-Misfalah, 17 percent in the central Haram area, 15 percent in Al-Otaibiyah and 8 percent in Al-Rusaifah. Many pilgrims prefer to live in Aziziyah because it is midway between Makkah and Mina. He said the committee has 26 field teams who will make continuous tours of the buildings to make sure that they are comfortable, convenient and have all necessary safety equipment. "Two emergency teams will make surprise visits to the buildings to ascertain that the pilgrims are comfortably accommodated and provided all facilities," he added. Haddad threatened the violating buildings with penalties, including fines and withdrawal of license. Meanwhile, hundreds of engineers, technicians and laborers are working round the clock to prepare thousands of tents in Mina for the accommodation of pilgrims. The guests of God will proceed to Mina on the eighth day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijja (tentatively Sept. 21) where they will stay the night before ascending to Arafat the next morning where they spend the day in prayers and meditation until sunset. The pilgrims return to Mina in the morning of the 10th day of Dhul Hijja and spend three to four days there to complete the Haj rites, which include stoning of the Satan at the Jamarat and the sacrifice. Meanwhile, three companies contracted by the local Haj service providers have started testing three types of Freon air conditioners inside the tents in Mina. According to company sources, the air conditions are either brought from Australia and China or are locally manufactured. The Haj Ministry has obliged all service providers to use Freon air conditioners in place of water coolers in their camps. According to technicians, the Freon air conditioners will keep the temperatures inside the tents below 25 degrees Celsius.
