New tents to raise Arafat capacity

The central administration for development projects in the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs will soon float tenders for the new permanent tents project in Arafat, said Saud Al-Thikri, spokesman for the ministry.
He said a committee that comprises seven government entities met in Jeddah in mid-November and approved the launch of the biggest development project in Arafat.
The meeting included officials from the Ministries of Haj and Finance, Public Security, Civil Defense, Makkah and Holy Sites Development Authority and Tawafa establishments.
Al-Thikri said the administration is awaiting the Finance Ministry’s final approval, which is expected in two weeks, before putting the project up for bidding. The contractors offering the best technical specifications and financial value will be chosen to implement the project estimated to accommodate 7 million pilgrims. “The project is the biggest in Arafat and the construction of the project will start as soon as the Finance Ministry’s approval is granted,” he said.
The approval will determine the fate of several projects the administration is planning to develop in Makkah.
Authorities concerned with Haj will conduct a study to build permanent and fire-resistant tents with varying heights similar to those implemented in the tents in the Pilgrim City in King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah. These tents will increase Arafat’s capacity by 71 percent.
Al-Thikri said the new tents will be fire-resistant and at a minimum height of 15 meters with two residential floors. The ground floor will be for common and pedestrian use as well as for first aid, food, maintenance and cleaning services.
He said the project will provide pilgrims with an ideal residence which will eliminate the risk of fire hazards posed by cotton tents currently in use. “The project provides comprehensive and pioneering services, by using environment-friendly tents,” he added. The project aims to find creative solutions for the Arafat tents by cutting costs and raising safety standards.
An experimental project with the Mashair Train in mind will be implemented next year. The experiment will be evaluated before being implemented in other areas. Mobile tents have been ruled out in this project.
The Makkah Comprehensive Scheme states the capacity of the holy sites will increase to 4 million pilgrims by 2040, which is the concluding year of the scheme. The holy sites’ capacity is expected to reach 2.8 million in the near future.
Arafat’s roads occupy 13.6 percent of flat land which can be developed while pilgrims’ areas cover 69.4 percent and land for other purposes is estimated at 17 percent.
The tops of small mountains have been leveled to make them more accessible to pilgrims and increase the extent of land that can be developed to 98 hectares.
The expected cost of recommended projects in Makkah and the holy sites’ comprehensive scheme to be completed in 2040 is expected to reach SR723
billion.
The estimated cost was based on the expected price value at the time of implementation. Transport programs are estimated at SR126.3 billion, social services including health and education at SR255.2 billion; and service facilities programs at SR47.4 billion. The cost of other programs and projects has been calculated according to a developmental timetable to raise the capacity of the holy sites
in general and Makkah in particular.
According to sources, the project was approved after Arafat experienced a heavy downpour which uncovered faults in 42 places accommodating hundreds of pilgrim tents posing a danger to their safety.