Under the directive of His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Makkah Region, His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of the region, conducted an inspection tour on Tuesday, 22 Dhul-Qi’dah 1446 AH (corresponding to May 20, 2025), accompanied by a number of officials from relevant authorities, to assess the readiness of the holy sites for the 1446 Hajj season.
His Highness began the tour with a visit to the screening point at Al-Shumaisi Center, where he received a briefing on the role of the Special Forces for Road Security at the center and the security procedures implemented to facilitate the entry of pilgrims into Makkah and the mechanisms for detecting and preventing unauthorized entry. The center includes 16 lanes equipped with the latest smart technologies, administrative offices for road security, a building dedicated to 10 government agencies, and accommodations for staff. This point plays a significant role in streamlining vehicle movement and easing access to Makkah during the Hajj season.
He then visited the Unified Security Operations Center (911) in the Holy Capital, where Colonel Omar bin Eidha Al-Talhi, Commander of the National Security Operations Center, gave a presentation on the center’s responsibilities and its role in providing security and humanitarian services to citizens, residents, and visitors.
Prince Saud reviewed the workflow within the center, which comprises 47 operations rooms, and observed how reports are received, categorized, and forwarded to the relevant authorities in record time using advanced technologies. The unified platform enhances response speed and coordination efficiency between agencies, ensuring the safety and security of the pilgrims.
His Highness also observed the process of receiving 24/7 multilingual calls from pilgrims and inspected the security monitoring room, which broadcasts live from the region’s provinces and the holy sites. Additionally, he toured the Crisis and Disaster Management Room and learned about its role in handling emergency situations during the Hajj season.
In Arafat, the Deputy Governor of Makkah Region reviewed several projects being implemented by the “Kadana Development Company” in preparation for the Hajj season. These include a project to reduce heat stress in the area surrounding the Namira Mosque, covering approximately 85,000 square meters. The project aims to create a more comfortable and safe environment for pilgrims on the Day of Arafah by planting over 2,000 trees, installing 320 shade canopies, and fitting 350 misting fans, in addition to building a complete infrastructure for water and electricity networks.
He also inspected the project for shading walkways in Arafat, spanning an area of 60,000 square meters, intended to cool the atmosphere and provide comfort for pilgrims.
In Muzdalifah, the Deputy Governor visited the pedestrian pathway project known as “Mashaer Path,” which spans 170,000 square meters with rubber flooring and includes the planting of 20,000 trees. The project enhances service quality and safety to ensure pilgrim comfort.
He also reviewed the project for first aid launching points, which includes 71 sites distributed along pedestrian routes in Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat, providing first aid and urgent logistical support to pilgrims.
His Highness concluded the tour by inspecting the Emergency Hospital project in Mina, which is being built on a 5,300-square-meter area and will include more than 200 beds, significantly boosting the capacity for emergency healthcare in the holy sites during the Hajj season.
