30% of tents in Mina camps provided with advanced air conditioning

In this Sept. 19, 2015 file photo, thousands of tents are prepared to host millions of Muslim pilgrims during the annual pilgrimage, known as the Hajj, in Mina, on the outskirts of the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (AP)

JEDDAH: The public investment fund of the Ministry of Finance completed changing approximately 30 percent of the old air conditioners in the Mina camps with more upgraded air conditioning units suitable for the desert climate, to be used during the pilgrimage season this year.
The Haj and Umrah Research Institute assessed the performance tests of about 260 air-conditioning devices used during the last Haj season, which were provided by five companies, to choose which should be installed in all other tents, and which will reduce temperatures inside the tents to 25° Celsius.
The secretary-general of the Coordination Council for Domestic Haj Service Firms, Jamal Shaqdar said the air conditioners will be included in only about 30 percent of the camps, so the remaining 70 percent of pilgrims will suffer from high temperatures, noting that the council is holding a workshop in the next few days in cooperation with the Ministry of Haj and Umrah to find a temporary solution to reduce as much as possible the heat stress expected during the Haj season. The Ministry of Haj is expected on Wednesday to announce the details and mechanisms of the work of domestic Haj service firms and the dates for registering on the electronic portal dedicated for this reason, along with the payment mechanisms and all the requirements of the ministry.