The Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, announced the successful implementation of the plan to transfer pilgrims to the plains of Arafat, stating that "the number of pilgrims this year reached 1,845,045, coming from more than 150 countries." He prayed that "God grants them ease in performing their rituals and that they return to their countries safely." This was announced during a press conference held today at the Ministry's camp in Arafat.
He emphasized that "the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and all its partners are monitoring all services provided to the guests of God through field teams around the clock," noting that "the ministry will deal firmly with any shortcomings that affect the pilgrims' journey and their performance of rituals," according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
On this occasion, Al-Rabiah expressed his gratitude to the Saudi king, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, for their "care and commitment to providing the best services to the guests of the Sacred House of God." He also thanked all "the agencies working in service of the guests of God from various civil and military sectors, which worked as one fabric to ensure the success of this year's Hajj season and secure the comfort of the guests in a manner that meets the aspirations of the wise leadership."
He added: "For the first time, domestic pilgrims were able to book online and pay in installments during this year's Hajj season, in addition to the implementation of online booking for 67 countries from Europe, the Americas, and Australia," indicating a "future expansion in applying this technology."
Earlier today, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced the completion of the transfer and ascent operations to the plains of Arafat, noting that the area of Mina is free of pilgrims as of 10 AM, and indicating that "the compliance rate for the transfers exceeded 98%, according to the targeted number of transport vehicles, which is 20,000 buses of all types, including regular and traditional transportation, and full capacity transport via the Sacred Sites Train."
