Humanitarian body praises Hajj crowd management

A picture taken on August 23, 2018 shows the walkway leading to the pillars where Muslim pilgrims partake in the symbolic stoning of the devil at the Jamarat Bridge in Mina, near Mecca, which marks the final major rite of the Hajj pilgrimage. (AFP)

Muslim pilgrims head on the walkway leading to the pillars where Muslim pilgrims partake in the symbolic stoning of the devil at the Jamarat Bridge in Mina, near Mecca, which marks the final major rite of the Hajj pilgrimage on August 23, 2018. (AFP)

Muslim pilgrims perform the farewell circling of the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, marking the end of hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018. (AP)

TOPSHOT - Muslim pilgrims head on the walkway leading to the pillars where Muslim pilgrims partake in the symbolic stoning of the devil at the Jamarat Bridge in Mina, near Mecca, which marks the final major rite of the Hajj pilgrimage on August 23, 2018. (AFP)

JEDDAH: A leading humanitarian organization has praised the Kingdom’s management of crowds during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage when nearly 2.4 million pilgrims are believed to have taken part in rituals.
The secretary-general of the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization (ARCO), Dr. Saleh Al-Suhaibani, said the Kingdom’s leaders have shown the most beautiful humanitarian example through the preparations undertaken before and after the massive influx of pilgrims.
He praised the care taken to ensure the safety and comfort of foreign pilgrims — the vast majority of them elderly.
The Kingdom has demonstrated a distinctive ability to continually produce innovative solutions, using the latest technology to coordinate services.