MAKKAH: Jabal Al-Rahma, also called Mount of Mercy or Mount of Arafat, which is a 454-meter-high granodiorite hill located around 20 kilometers to the southeast of Makkah, will soon undergo a massive facelift to improve services for pilgrims.
The Kidana Development Company is spearheading the project to transform the areas adjacent to Jabal Al-Rahma on the plains of Arafat, as part of a plan to beautify the holy sites.
Pilgrims and visitors are expected to benefit from improved facilities and services throughout the year, and not just during the Hajj.
The project will include street lights, toilets, parking bays, sitting areas, and walking spaces. There will also be restaurants and cafes, platforms for TV channels, and security control towers.
A company official told Arab News that the initiative will also include new bus stations, and improved lighting over the 200,000-square-meter area. The aim is to ensure pilgrims can perform their rituals comfortably, the official said.
The area is significant for Muslims as Prophet Muhammad delivered his last sermon at the foot of the mountain.
On Dhul Hijjah 9, this year possibly on Friday, July 8, pilgrims travel from Mina to Arafat to pray, supplicate, and seek forgiveness from Allah.
The pilgrims them move to Muzdalifa, located nearly 8.8 kilometers west of Mount Arafat. Along the way, they pick up pebbles, which are used for the ritual of stoning the devil for three days at the Jamarat in Mina.
