MAKKAH: During Hajj, humanitarian work grows significantly among everyone at the holy sites and people devote themselves to charity, racing and competing to do so despite the hot weather.
Many scenes reflected the presence of humanity as pilgrims started arriving in Mina to spend the day of Tarwiyah. Arab News cameras caught many of these moments during the first day of this year’s Hajj season.
Egyptian pilgrim Saber Mohammed told Arab News, as he was pushing his son in his wheelchair: “I came from Egypt to perform Hajj. My son had a car accident and can’t move so we came here asking God to heal him.”
Another Egyptian pilgrim, Abed Al-Alim, was spotted pushing his mother in her wheelchair. He said: “My mother wanted to perform Hajj this year despite her illness and her old age. However, as she insisted on coming, I accompanied her. Despite the hot weather I don’t feel any difficulty in pushing her, thanks to God. We ask Him to facilitate and accept our Hajj journey.”
Arab News also spotted a security man standing next to a pilgrim, answering all of his questions, opening the Mina maps for him and guiding him on the road to his camp.
Moreover, an Indian woman carrying her 18-month-old child despite the hot weather, was also spotted by Arab News. When she saw the camera, she started clapping to express her joy of being there. The Indian woman and the Arab News reporter couldn’t communicate due to the language barrier, but she kept repeating the word “Hamdullah.”
SEC inspects Mina camps to ensure electrical safety
The Saudi Electricity Co. (SEC) inspected the camps at Mina to ensure electrical safety before pilgrims arrive on the Day of Tarwiah. The director of the department of electricity in Makkah, Walid bin Hamid Al-Ghamdi, revealed that specialized technical teams from the SEC have conducted awareness sessions for those responsible for the camps and their employees.
“Electrical wiring connections were inspected, in addition to testing their quality. Advice and guidance on appropriate technical methods for dealing with electricity services was introduced,” Al-Ghamdi said.
He also said this advice included “awareness of how to deal with any emergency breakdown in the camp, and appropriate means of dealing with any electrical incidents, fires resulting from connections or cables, or other emergency situations.”
Al-Ghamdi has also revealed that these tours aim to ensure the full compliance of all camps with electrical safety standards, technical readiness, and to provide the necessary support in regard to any electrical issue.
The SEC has mobilized more than 1,500 experts, engineers, technicians and administrators to Makkah, Madinah and the holy places to implement the electrical operational plan for Hajj this year.
New electrical projects worth SR4.25 billion ($1.133 billion) have been implemented to ensure safe and reliable electrical service for pilgrims during all stages of the Hajj.
