A pilgrim makes her final date shopping at a Jeddah downtown market Friday. – Okaz photo MADINA: Services have been upgraded to handle the steady stream of pilgrims visiting the Prophet's Mosque, according to Abdul Wahid Al-Hattab, Director of Public Relations at the General Presidency Agency for the Affairs of the Prophet's Mosque. Al-Hattab said Friday the agency has boosted services by deploying supervisors and fulltime and temporary guides in the courtyards, walkways, roofs and inside the mosque. This was to organize the entry and exit of worshippers, provide guidance services, and supervise cleaning and maintenance. Other tasks include checking on the air-conditioning, lighting and adding Zamzam to the water coolers. Also included are humanitarian services such as the provision of wheelchairs, allowing people with special needs to use the elevators, calling ambulances for emergency cases, and safeguarding lost items. Al-Hattab pointed out that the new service named “Irshad” (guidance) has proved effective in guiding lost pilgrims, and old and disabled persons to their residences with the use of electric vehicles. Also, a hall has been allocated in the western side of the mosque for translating the Friday sermon into sign language through a television screen for people with special needs. Brig. Gen. Siraj Bin Abdul Rahman Kamal, Director of the Traffic Department in Madina region, said the department has set up checkpoints to prevent the entry of small cars into the Central Area half an hour before Friday prayer, to streamline traffic flow on King Faisal Road (First Ring Road) and prevent pilgrims from being run over who walk from their residences to the mosque. Meanwhile, a report prepared by the Reports and Statistics Unit of the Haj Committee in Madina, showed that 25,178 pilgrims arrived in Madina via Prince Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport and the reception centers, while 14,562 have left. Overall, a total of 246,842 pilgrims have arrived in Madina, while 61,292 have left. This means there are still 85,521 pilgrims in Madina. The report showed that the largest number of pilgrims are from Egypt, at a total of 23,161 followed by 22,963 Iranians and 12,957 Bangladeshi nationals. Prince Abdulaziz Bin Majed, Emir of Madina region, has been following preparations for the reception of pilgrims to the Prophet's Mosque to perform Friday prayers. Over 300,000 worshippers including 200,000 pilgrims performed Friday prayers at the Prophet's Mosque. There was a crowd of visitors to the Prophet's grave and those of his two companions. Buses and taxis carrying tens of thousands of pilgrims arrived at the Central Area within the vicinity of the Prophet's Mosque.
