The ritual of Hajj is just around the corner and preparations for the Holy Pilgrimage have been started days ago. For all the Hajj Pilgrims, there's good news!
Makkah region has added the final touches to the 2019 hajj plan after the company operating Makkah Mashaer monorail employed more than 15K seasonal workers to manage the masses on the train during the Hajj season.
According to the Saudi Gazette, the company operating the Mashaer train, which is under the supervision of the Authority for the Development of Makkah region, has employed as many as 15,419 seasonal workers. Those workers will be responsible for managing the masses on the train which shuttles between Makkah and the holy sites during the Hajj season. According to this year’s holy sites operation plan, the Mashaer train is expected to transport over 360,000 pilgrims from Mina to Arafat and then during the Nafrah from Arafat back to Mina.
Meanwhile, the total number of pilgrims who will be transported by the Al-Mashaer Train during the Tashreeq Days will exceed two million. China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC) was in charge of the construction of Makkah Light Rail. The company regained the operation contract worth US$93 million in April 2018 as approved by the Saudi government.
The light rail, which is the first railway built by a Chinese company in the Middle East, will ease congestion on the road in Hajj pilgrimage season and provide easy transportation for pilgrims as it links three main Hajj destinations.
This year’s operation plan comprises supervision of the pilgrims’ services projects in the holy sites. Foremost among these is supervising operation of the Al-Mashaer Train, which during the grouping plan is expected to transport over 360,000 pilgrims from Mina to Arafat and then during the Nafrah from Arafat back to Mina.
Meanwhile, the total number of pilgrims who will be transported by the Al-Mashaer Train during the Tashreeq Days will exceed two million. The plan also includes ensuring that the restrooms in the holy sites are ready for use. They are in the form of 484 complexes containing over 30,000 toilets ready for use by the pilgrims.
There is also the project for the treatment of leftovers from slaughtering of sacrificial animals and converting them to organic fertilizer. The project, which is the first of its kind in the world, aims to protect the environment from foul odors, bacteria and groundwater pollution due to burial of leftovers from slaughtered animals. The plant has a storage capacity of 10,000 ton while 120 ton of waste is treated daily.
Visit the Hajj 2019 page to get all Hajj updates!
Source: Saudi Gazette
