Over 69,000 pilgrims arrive at Jeddah airport

Pakistani Muslims wait to pass security as the first pilgrims for the annual Hajj pilgrimage arrive in Jeddah on July 24, 2017. / AFP / Amer HILABI

JEDDAH: More than 69,000 pilgrims have arrived at Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport, via 394 flights, since the start of the Hajj season, 4.3 percent more than last year.

The capacity of the airport’s Hajj and Umrah Complex is 3,800 passengers per hour, with 320 counters to complete procedures in a timely manner.

In Madinah, 164,136 pilgrims have arrived so far. According to statistics from the National Pilgrim Guides Foundation, 10,957 pilgrims have left the city while 153,179 remain.

Makkah’s Jamarat complex to be cooled by 750 water-spray fans

The Makkah Region Development Authority has begun implementing a cooling project in the western area of the Jamarat complex, as well as the Jamarat-Mina road, with 750 water-spray fans.

The project covers an area more than 10,000 meters long with water-spray fans supplied via two main stations. 

The spray-fans, along with other cooling ventilation methods, will operate throughout the Hajj season to give pilgrims respite from the heat.