RIYADH: If you face an emergency during Hajj season and don’t know who to call, just pick up the phone and dial 911: whether you are lost and in need of directions, require help on the road, have a medical emergency, find an animal on the street or highways or have lost your belongings, a team of competent young Saudis are always ready to help.
The National Center for Security Operations at the Saudi Interior Ministry launched its 911 call center just 5 years ago in Makkah, and there are now three other centers in Riyadh, Shargiyah and Madinah.
Workers at the centers speak various languages, including English, French, German, Indonesian and Urdu, the national language of Pakistan.
The service is quick, efficient and extremely useful for anyone with an emergency at this particularly busy time of year as Hajj season kicks off and pilgrims make their way to Makkah for sacred rituals and visits to the holy sites.
The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with text messages having been sent out to mobile phones saying: “Dear pilgrims, your service is an honor and your security is our duty. Policemen are ready to fulfill your urgent needs on 911.”
The centers are also active on Twitter, updating information on the latest dust storms, highway closings due to car crashes and animal sightings on freeways.
Saudi's 911 call operators will attend pilgrims in Urdu during Hajj
Saudi's 911 call operators will attend pilgrims in Urdu during Hajj
- Multilingual helpline service available 24 hours a day seven days a week, also actively updates information on Twitter
- Round the clock call centers set up in Makkah, Riyadh, Shargiyah and Madinah over last 5 years
