‘Mutawwifeen’ to wear special robes

The Haj Ministry recently announced that “mutawwifeen” (Arabic for men who help pilgrims perform the pilgrimage) may soon be obliged to wear traditional robes to make them stand out from the crowd in every sense of the word.
These robes, which were worn in the past, give these officials a more prestigious ranking, the ministry said in a press statement.
The ministry also intends to train several qualified heads, deputies and field members to become pilgrim guides.
The ministry said it has introduced a comprehensive book on Haj and Umrah pilgrimage, chosen from among more than 3,500 books on the subject.
The book summarizes the four Islamic schools of thought and has been circulated among field service offices to enhance guidance.
Such training courses, discussion meetings and seminars play an important role in developing the capabilities of the “mutawwifeen,” the ministry said.
“Such training courses have been implemented in line with enhancing capabilities at the Grand Mosque and to group pilgrims during peak hours to ensure safety,” said the ministry.
More than 345 “mutawwifeen” participated in recent training courses held in Makkah.
The training courses were held in coordination with “tawafa” (pilgrimage) establishments and the Haj Ministry and included four meetings that brought together heads and deputies who were on duty during the last Haj season.