ZUL-HAJJ 1 1430 A.H.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER . 19 2009.
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November 26 is Arafat Day... Saudi announces
From MUH'D HAMISU ABDULLAHI, Makkah
THE Supreme Court of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, announced that Arafat Day falls on Thursday, November 26, this year.
The announcement followed the witnessing of the Dul-Hijjah crescent on Tuesday evening by a number of people in the Kingdom.
Announcing the day on Tuesday, the Chief Justice of the court, AbdulRahman Al-Kelya, said as a result, Wednesday, November 18, 2009 marked the first day of Dul-Hijjah.
He said, Eid-Al-Adha will be on Friday, November 27, this year.
Arafat Day therefore marks the day when pilgrims stand in prayer on the plain of Arafat marking the climax of Hajj.
In a related development, the Saudi Authorities have said that the construction work of a five-story Jamrat Bridge has been completed.
The completion of the bridge will enable pilgrims to make full use of the high-tech facility this year for stoning the Jamrat.
The project, which gulped SR4.5 billion, aims to ensure a smooth flow of thousands of pilgrims during the ritual.
Many pilgrims have, in the past, died in stampedes while carrying out
this rite.
According to Arab News, a daily newspaper of the Kingdom, Major-General Sa'ad Al-Khelaiwi, assistant commander of Hajj Security Forces, said pilgrims will not be allowed to squat along the roads leading to the Jamrat, saying that they will also monitor and control the flow of pilgrims, as the Jamrat Bridge would not be able to accommodate more than 300,000 pilgrims an hour.
He explained that they have appointed 19 commanders along the roads to stop pilgrims when the number exceeds 300,000.
Al-Khelaiwi said pilgrims would not be allowed to carry large bags while going to perform the stoning ritual, adding that more than 12,000 men would be taking part in the operation.
On his part, commander of the Command and Control Center, Major Muhammad A-Shahri, said his center has the ability to monitor all operation areas, pointing out that they have installed more than 1,850 cameras in different positions of the holy sites and the Grand Mosque.
Major-General Khidr A-Zahrani, assistant commander for Security Affairs, said his forces would focus on preventing crimes at the sites, saying that they established about 30 police stations at the holy sites to receive pilgrims' complaints.
The state-of-the-art Jamrat Bridge is designed to accommodate five million pilgrims.
It has 10 entrances and 12 exits distributed over the four levels plus others to accommodate pilgrims coming from different directions.
There are some more works pending: construction of four helipad towers and eight escalator towers among others, which will be ready next year.
