The transportation and logistics system has completed its preparations and operational plans, as well as its technical and specialized teams, to serve the pilgrims of the Holy House of Allah for this year 1444 AH, and to contribute to providing a safe and smooth arrival for pilgrims in various air, land, sea sectors, and trains from their arrival to the Kingdom and passing through the holy sites until completing their rituals and departing to their countries. It is achieved in accordance with the wise leadership’s directives to mobilize all efforts and capabilities to serve the pilgrims, enabling them to perform their rituals with ease and convenience. It is aligned with the aspirations of the National Strategy for Transportation and Logistics and the Pilgrim Experience Program, as well as achieving integration with the efforts and plans carried out by various other government entities to provide all the necessary facilities to serve the guests of Allah, enabling them to perform their rituals with ease, peace, and tranquillity.
The preparations included monitoring by the General Authority of Civil Aviation to ensure the application of safety and quality standards by service providers from airports, carriers, and their counterparts. Meanwhile, the Airport Holding Company oversaw the readiness of operational plans for the implementation of the arrival and departure stages of the pilgrims through approximately 7700 flights, with approximately 1.7 million seats allocated to the guests of the Merciful. These flights will land at six airports in the Kingdom, represented by King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Taif International Airport, as well as Prince Abdulmohsen International Airport in Yanbu, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.
The General Authority of Roads supervises and regulates the entire national road network, ensuring safety and quality standards are implemented. In addition, the authority has carried out a package of maintenance and safety works in preparation for this year’s Hajj season. The authority conducted surveys of over 13,000 kilometers from border crossings to the holy sites. Additionally, they installed 9,000 kilometers of concrete and metal barriers, painted approximately 600 kilometers of road markings, removed over 40,000 cubic meters of sand dunes, and installed a total of 2,400 guidance and warning signs. These efforts contribute to raising the level of safety and readiness on the Kingdom’s road network, which is considered the top-ranked globally in its connectivity.
The General Authority of Transport also focuses on its regulatory and supervisory tasks in the areas of land, sea, and rail transportation, ensuring that licensed companies comply with regulations, legislation, and technical requirements that guarantee the safe transportation of pilgrims with the highest standards of comfort and safety. This is achieved through over 120 field inspectors who will operate at the entrances of the holy cities of Makkah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah to ensure the compliance of licensed buses used for pilgrim transportation. Additionally, three practical experiments will be implemented to activate modern transportation technologies.
The General Authority for Ports has made sure to enhance efficiency and performance levels to streamline the processes of reception, grouping, and baggage handling for pilgrims, ensuring their smooth and comfortable transition to perform their rituals. This is achieved through an integrated operational and logistical plan that accommodates the reception of more than 10 thousand pilgrims through the Islamic Port of Jeddah. The plan includes the allocation of 361 staff members and 100 checkpoints for passport procedures, as well as 300 advanced vehicles for passenger baggage transportation. The arrival and departure halls are prepared, and the movement is ensured to be smooth with the presence of specialists in designated areas. This is done to guarantee the continuity of operations at the port and facilitate the movement of pilgrims from their arrival until their departure.
The Saudi Post (SPL) continues its preparations for this year’s Hajj season by providing numerous services to more than 121 government entities, in addition to services for pilgrims. These services include the Hajj and Umrah parcel services, which aim to ship parcels from Mecca and Medina to the countries of the pilgrims, facilitating the purchase of visitors’ goods and gifts such as dates and others. This is done through 566 employees, three SPL GO vehicles, and 45 postal sites to serve pilgrims in the holy sites, Medina, and Mecca.
The Saudi Railway Company (SAR) will utilize its full capacity to contribute to enhancing the Hajj experience by providing easy and convenient transportation through the Haramain high-speed train. The Haramain train is considered one of the top ten fastest trains in the world, connecting the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, passing through the King Abdullah Economic City and Jeddah. In addition, SAR ensures the readiness of the Mashair train, completing preventive maintenance and testing operations for the readiness of trains and stations, and applying the highest safety and quality standards. This is to guarantee the operation of the train, which starts its actual trips from the seventh day of Dhul-Hijjah until the end of the days of Tashreeq. Its maximum capacity is 360,000 pilgrims, serving multiple tracks in the holy sites through nine stations in Arafat, Muzdalifah, and Mina, with the help of 17 trains.
Source: Saudi Press Agency