Saudi Arabia has been working all out to serve the world's largest congregation of more than two million Muslim pilgrims who are pouring into the Kingdom to perform the Haj, a pillar of Islam. Hoping for a trouble-free pilgrimage this year, the Saudi authorities are on the alert to help pilgrims perform their rituals in safe and convenient conditions.

Saudi Arabian Airlines will lift 312,000 pilgrims from all over the world. The Ministry of Health will provide pilgrims with 7,250 beds and more than 400 kinds of medicine and vaccination. There will be several sites to be used for evacuation in an emergency. The Ministry of Agriculture will provide pilgrims with more than 207,000 cubic metres of drinking water at the holy sites on a daily basis. The authorities have completed a project to develop Arafat and Muzdalifah at a cost of 600 million riyals.

The kingdom has spent more than 70 billion riyals over the past decade to expand the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah and develop the surrounding areas, roads and underpasses. The mosque in Makkah accommodates more than 1.5 million pilgrims, while the one in Madinah accommodates more than one million pilgrims at peak times. The Ministry of Commerce will operate more than 750 refrigerator trucks laden with food at the holy sites, 800 trucks on Arafat Day, 250 on Muzdalifah evening and 1,200 trucks roaming the roads between the holy sits. The Ministry of Telecommunications has provided more than 73 offices with telephone networks and more than 5,800 public booths have been set up in Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah.

The Saudi government has completed a 204 billion riyal project to accommodate pilgrims in Mina valley adjoining Makkah during the pilgrimage in fire-resistant tents. The Mina camp where pilgrims gather on the first day of the Haj has 40,000 tents. Each tent, made of fibreglass coated with teflon, has a heat-sensitive water sprinkler, which is linked to an alarm system, and electric lighting.

The Ministry of Communica-tions has completed 600 million riyals worth of projects to develop Arafat and Muzdalifah, including an Arafat ring road and 93.5 kilometres of internal roads and several flyovers. The Saudi authorities have called on all pilgrims to abandon any political activities such as demonstrations, or waving of banners with slogans.

The Saudi police will be monitoring the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah with cameras around the clock to control traffic. The Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims are required to make the pilgrimage once in their lives if they have sufficient means. The pilgrimages attract more than two million faithful each year. They spend around SR4.5 billion during their stay in the Kingdom.