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Saudi Arabia - Temporarily cuts Umrah & Hajj pilgrim numbers by 20% for foreigners and 50% for Saudi citizens - expansion projects blamed

sharon sanders

Editor-in-Chief & President
Please also see:

Saudi Arabia cuts pilgrim visa quota globally by 20% - causes havoc in tourism industry - June 10, 2013


machine translation

Pending the completion of the expansion projects
Hajjar: Reduce the number of pilgrims exceptional and temporary decision


Riyadh - SPA:16/06/2013 00:30:04
HE Minister of Hajj Dr. Bandar bin Mohammed Hajjar that Saudi Arabia is working hard to serve Islam and Muslims and the service of the Two Holy Mosques hard and sincerity and dedication to the advancement of this responsibility, noting that it first concerns the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - may God protect him - where ridiculed all the potential financial and human resources to achieve this goal.

His Excellency said during a meeting with the first channel in the Saudi television today: "The decision to reduce the pilgrims home to 50% and pilgrims abroad 20% Resolution exceptional and temporary,

and can not be discussed in isolation from the area's legitimate feelings of the Holy available to perform these rituals, as there are increasing numbers of pilgrims The pilgrims and there are a limited space in the holy sites and the Two Holy Mosques and the limited time and the goal of which is to provide the maximum possible level of services for the pilgrims since their arrival until their departure, and to achieve this goal has to be expansion within the area of ​​legality and jurisprudence specific rituals to ensure the safety of pilgrims, and was starting a number of projects expansionist her . " He explained that the expansion of the Haram al-Sharif current will add an area of ​​400 thousand square meters to the current area, to accommodate 2.0002 million thousand worshipers, pointing out that the area of ​​Haram al-Sharif is equal to four times the Mecca days Caliphs, and the expansion endeavor was before expansion to accommodate 44 thousand Goods at Bmsarah, but after the end of the expansion project, bringing to accommodate more than 130 thousand courier in time in all roles and the surface, and the bridge, which was played one when it was founded is now six innings for up to twelve role after the end of the expansion, where absorbed after 5 million expansion is completed Ram Embers day rate of 300 thousand at Ram.

And the Minister of Hajj to expand the campus Prophet in Medina will add a million and 600 thousand worshipers with a capacity estimated at more than two million worshipers, pointing out that the increase of pilgrims linked agreements precedent is 1 in 1000 or 1000 ppm each of the total population, and increases according to the number of the population of each State, that the number of pilgrims useful doomed rates and certain conventions than Umrah. Said Dr. Mohammad Hajjar: "The expansions associated with hard-tunnels in the mountains linking the Haram al-Sharif in Mina and connecting campus neighborhoods of Mecca, where there are 54 tunnel length of 30 kilometers and display ranges from 11 to 15 meters, in addition to tunnels pedestrian equipped with all means of safety shortened the distance of the Mona campus or neighborhood of Mecca from 10 to 15 minutes, and that there is a committee studying hairy Arafa permanent tents which are also present in Mina. " It made Ma'aleh that eventually accommodate 48 thousand Careers in time before the expansion project, which the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to finish it in three years, where will widen after the completion of the project to 105 thousand Careers in time, indicating that the absorptive capacity of the مطاف will fall during the project of expansion to 22 thousand Careers at the time, pointing out that the contractor project expansion is working hard to reach a number الطائفين to 35 thousand Careers in time during the month of Ramadan next, as the aim of the project to increase capacity and maintain the integrity of pilgrims from congestion, revealing that the contractor working on a bridge given to people with special needs in the circumambulation expands to 8000 Taif with special needs.

According to the Minister of Hajj that among the projects expansionist project of public transport, which includes transport by train, metro and all means of transport in terms of monitoring him 62 billion riyals, as well as train project Holy linking Medina Mecca to the province in Jeddah, which shorten the time between Medina and Mecca to two hours at 300 kilometers per hour, half an hour between Mecca and Jeddah, pointing out that the holy sites train was able to dispense with 30 thousand bus were scouring feelings where pollution has been reduced by 86%. He pointed out that visas Umrah awarded to the companies until 1 July 1434 e amounted to 4.00063 million A visa margin increased 124 thousand last year, as the number of entrants to the Kingdom to perform Umrah from the beginning of the month of Safar until 1 August current 3.00096 million pilgrims behind 317 pilgrims from last year, noting that he put controls so that does not exceed the number of arrivals to the age of 500 thousand per day to ensure the continued expansion project of the day, and will provide companies visa required, provided accommodation licensed by the Tourism Authority of pilgrims, useful that there is a commitment in the program pilgrims so that they use the visa on time have to be this organization for the months of August and September.

The Ma'aleh that there are 120 thousand rooms licensed by the Commission of Tourism and Antiquities accommodate 480 thousand pilgrims, and that there is an electronic system and controls distinctive to follow the retarded, where the number of pilgrims in 1426 about 2.0008 million pilgrims, the number of retarded 540 thousand retarded, but last year was the number of Pilgrims 5 million and a half million pilgrims number of retarded 8000 retarded, where the reduced number of retarded as a result of the controls established by the Ministry of Hajj, drawing attention to that the ministry has issued instructions to all companies not to link any obligations unless adopted the ministry's operational plan for the company. The Minister of Hajj Dr. Bandar bin Mohammed Hajjar at the end of the meeting that the ministry is responsible for documenting decades of housing and services for each of pilgrims from abroad, noting that there are six institutions for Cruising, as well as the institution eligibility for buckets of Medina and the Office of agents Unified, where under every institution there Field Service.

http://www.alriyadh.com/net/article/844309
 
Re: Saudi Arabia - Temporarily cuts Umrah & Hajj pilgrim numbers by 20% for foreigners and 50% for Saudi citizens - expansion projects blamed

hat tip Michael Coston

KSA To Limit Umrah & Hajj Visitors



Credit Wikipedia

# 7403

Without mentioning their recent MERS-CoV outbreaks (or increasing instability in the Middle East), Saudi Arabia has suddenly decided to limit the number of visitors to their holy sites this year during Umrah and the Hajj ? citing ongoing construction at the Al-Masjid Al-Ḥarām (The `Grand Mosque?) in Mecca.

The multi-billion dollar expansion of this holy site began in 2007 and completion isn?t expected until 2020. Making a last-minute realization that they cannot handle their normal number of visitors a bit suspect.
Whatever the truth of the matter, this morning it is widely being reported that Saudi Arabia has asked foreigners to postpone their Hajj pilgrimage this year.

This from Xinhua News.

Saudi advises foreigners to postpone Hajj plans this year

(philstar.com) | Updated June 16, 2013 - 5:00pm
RIYADH (Xinhua) - Saudi Arabia has called upon foreign pilgrims to postpone their Hajj plans this year due to ongoing expansion work at Mekka's Grand Mosque, Arab News reported Sunday.

This was highlighted through a series of announcements through the Holy Qur'an television channel from Mekka, the government advised pilgrims intending to perform Haj and Umrah this year to postpone their plans to the Grand Mosque.

According to the newspaper, the unprecedented move aims at preventing congestion and stampedes as well as ensuring the safety of pilgrimages.

The call came after the government's decision to reduce the number of foreign pilgrims by 20 percent and domestic pilgrims by 50 percent this year. Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has backed the measure, saying that it was taken in public interest.

According to official figure, 3.161 million pilgrims preformed hajj last year; if counting illegal hajj performers, the number could be around 4 million.

All able bodied Muslims are required to make at least one major pilgrimage to Mecca during their lifetime, at the time of the hajj. This is known as the fifth pillar of Islam, and is one of the duties incumbent upon all Muslims.

The faithful may also make `lesser pilgrimages?, called omra (or Umrah), at other times of the year. These minor pilgrimages don?t absolve the faithful of making the hajj journey unless they take place during Ramadan.
As a result, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) receives more than 7 million visitors each year, with most of them arriving during the month of Ramadan (this year: July 8th-August 7th) and during the Hajj in October.

With more than 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, the wait for a visa to partake in the Hajj or Umrah can literally take a decade or longer, and many devout save for much their lives in order to make this pilgrimage.​
Which is why the surprise announcement earlier this week that Saudi Arabia would limit the number, and duration of Umrah visas this summer was met with considerable concern.

Saudi Arabia limits Umrah visa validity to 2 weeks

SIRAJ WAHAB

Jeddah, June 9: The Hajj Ministry has decided to limit the validity of Umrah visas to only 14 days because of the ongoing work to expand the mataf ? the cicumambulation area.

(Continue . . . )
Two days later, from the Jakarta Globe, we get:
Saudi Arabia Slashes Indonesia Hajj Quota By 20%

By Jakarta Globe on 7:16 pm June 11, 2013.
Indonesian Muslims planning to make a pilgrimage to Mecca for Idul Adha will have to wait even longer after Saudi Arabia cuts the nation?s quota by 20 percent this year, adding to a backlog that is already 12 years long.

(Continue . . . )

Overnight, the story appears to have grown, as the Saudi Gazette is now reporting that the limit on visitors has been extended not only to this year?s Hajj, but potentially to all Umrah and Hajj visitors over the next 2 or 3 years.

Reduction in numbers of Haj and Umrah visitors


MAKKAH ? The Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Alshaikh, head of the grand scholars committee, has supported the decision to reduce the number of Hajis and Umrah visitors during the coming two or three years, Al-Sharq newspaper reported.

(Continue . . . )

Even without an emerging coronavirus, the logistics of providing free medical care for several million pilgrims during the Hajj is a daunting one. Last month, in MERS, Mass Gatherings & Public Health, we looked at some of the immense challenges that Saudi Arabia faces each year with the Hajj.

Emergence of medicine for mass gatherings: lessons from the Hajj

Prof Ziad A Memish MD , Gwen M Stephens MD, Prof Robert Steffen MD , Qanta A Ahmed MD
(Excerpt)

Within the immediate vicinity of the Hajj, there are 141 primary health-care centres and 24 hospitals with a total capacity of 4964 beds including 547 beds for critical care. The latest emergency management medical systems were installed in 136 health-care centres and staffed with 17 609 specialised personnel. More than 15 000 doctors and nurses provide services, all at no charge.

As to whether MERS-CoV has anything to do with this week?s unprecedented decision to sharply curtail visitors to the Kingdom?

It seems likely that it is at least one of the factors, but your guess is as good as mine.

Posted by Michael Coston at <a class="timestamp-link" href="http://afludiary.blogspot.ca/2013/06/ksa-to-limit-umrah-hajj-visitors.html" rel="bookmark" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" title="2013-06-16T09:47:00-04:00">9:47 AM</abbr>
 
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