Watch video: 25-km walkway, world’s largest, readied for pilgrims in Saudi Arabia
The 4-track route links holy sites and is fitted with amenities
Cairo: Muslims undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage rites next month will have access to the world’s longest walkway linking holy sites in Saudi Arabia, local media said.
The 25-kilometre facility, dubbed the pedestrians’ road, runs from the Arafat area, where the annual pilgrimage climaxes, through Muzdalifah to Mina, around eight kilometres east to Mecca.
The walkway will also be accessible to the general public in other times of the year.
Lined with seats on its sides, the route has four tracks and surrounded with concrete barriers to block cars’ access.
According to the Saudi television Al Ekhbariya, one track of the walkway stretches for the length of 5,100 metres, the second for 7,580 metres, the third for 7,5560 metres and the fourth for 4,620 metres.
Energy-saving LED lampposts have been installed along the way.
Over the years, Saudi Arabia has constantly introduced facilities to make the Hajj journey comfortable and smooth for pilgrims flocking to the holy sites from across the globe.
Saudi Arabia has said it will allow 1 million pilgrims from inside and outside the kingdom to perform this year’s Hajj, after restricting the annual ritual to some thousands of Muslims living inside the country for the last two years due to COVID-19 outbreak.
Around 2.5 million Muslims from around the world used to attend Hajj every year before the pandemic.