Badea Abu Al-Naja Saudi Gazette The safety of pilgrims is the Kingdom's top priority, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, has said. Addressing a press conference at the holy sites after inspecting the preparedness of the Haj security forces, the crown prince, who is also chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, assured that the deadly crane accident in the Grand Mosque will not affect this year's pilgrimage. The Kingdom, he said always “takes into consideration the safety of pilgrims as a priority”. The incident has been dealt with “in record time with the directives issued by (Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques) King Salman and.... has no more effect whatsoever on the Haj plans for this year.” The crown prince on Thursday reviewed a parade and drill by security officers demonstrating their readiness to protect the Haj from attacks or accidents. Samira Abdulwahab, a pilgrim from Sudan who had just finished circling the cube-shaped Kaaba, which all Muslims face to pray, called the Grand Mosque “the safest place in the world”. The Kaaba is now barely visible amid the surrounding construction works. At the press conference, the crown prince stressed that the Kingdom is ready to face any action that might cause any harm during the Haj next week and declared that Saudi Arabia is “ready prevent the exploitation of the Haj season for political or propaganda reasons.” Saudi authorities have been seeking to expand and better current facilities and ensure the provision of all necessary services that help the pilgrims perform their Haj rituals in ease and comfort. “The Kingdom is determined to avoid terrorist acts over the past years in order to preserve the sanctity of our religion and its holy places and the lives of innocent people. The security services in various sectors are fully ready to face any action that might cause harm to the sites and the pilgrims and that the Kingdom is strict in forbidding anyone from exploiting this great season for political or propaganda purposes,” the crown prince said. Security on full alert In response to Riyadh's recent efforts in foiling attacks after it had arrested two wanted suspects among a Daesh (the so-called IS) cell, in two separate operations in Riyadh and Dhruma, last week the crown prince said: “Security services in the Kingdom are fully vigilant at all times and we are currently following-up on the movements of terrorist groups and elements at home and abroad.” Meanwhile, wearing the clothes and speaking the languages of dozens of nations, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flocked to the Grand Mosque for Friday noon prayers in a show of religious harmony. Worshipers of different nationalities said they hoped the Haj would provide a chance for Muslims to set strife aside. Ali Saeed, who arrived in Saudi Arabia from Jordan after escaping Syria's civil war, prayed rival leaders would “come back to their senses and stop shedding innocent blood.” “Will it ever end? God knows. I hope all our leaders can come to Makkah and share the same faith as all those people do,” he said. Spirituality As they walked in groups, some joined hands and others wore colorful scarves bearing the name of their country to avoid getting separated or lost. Some pushed relatives in wheelchairs or helped the elderly in the crush. “I invite all people from Iran and other Muslim countries to come together in Makkah and experience the spirituality,” said Abdullah Rahmani, an Iranian. In past years, the Haj has drawn around 3 million pilgrims. This year and last, Riyadh cut back on numbers — enforced through strict visa rules and a ring of checkpoints around the city — to prevent dangerous overcrowding during expansion works. MERS challenge A challenge again facing the Haj is potential transmission of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The capital Riyadh saw a jump in infections last month. But Health Minister Khaled Al-Falih said all pilgrims are so far in “very good, if not excellent health.” Saudi Arabia is the country worst affected by MERS, with 528 deaths since the virus appeared in 2012. — With input from Agencies
