Holy cities gear up for rush

Special arrangements have been made at the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah to accommodate the rush of pilgrims intending to perform Umrah and pray at the Prophet's (Peace Be Upon Him) Mosque in Madinah during Ramadan.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz congratulated Muslims on the occasion and urged them to follow the path of moderation.

"Muslims should endeavour for success in this world and herefter as per the teachings of their faith, which urges them to follow the principles of wisdom and moderateness," a message send by King Fahd to the Muslim nation said.

They also urged Muslims to get united. "The Muslims Ummah is in need of unity more than any time before," the message added referring to the latest developments in the region.

With the advent of Ramadan, iftar tents have sprung up at most of the big mosques in Al Khobar as elsewhere in the Kingdom.

Campaign to collect donations for arranging iftar have been going on for some time now. Government departments in Makkah have made extensive arrangements to welcome the large number of worshippers expected in the holy city during Ramadan.

The number of pilgrims is expected to cross the 2 million mark this year. More labourers have been engaged for the cleaning and maintenance of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and its adjoining area.

About 2,000 full time and part-time additional employees have been contracted by the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques to take care of the additional work during Ramadan.

In addition 2,823 labourers have also been appointed to cater to the growing number of pilgrims. More buses The Traffic Department in Makkah also geared up to meet the anticipated rush.

Brigadier Ahmad Al Otaibi, director of Traffic Department in Makkah, said his department was coordinating with a transport company to operate adequate number of buses to carry pilgrims from parking points outside the holy city to the Haram Al Kaaba.

With weekend due, a large number of buses were seen lined up at specific places in Al Khobar and other cities to take pilgrims to perform Umrah and then visit the Prophet's (PBUH) Mosque in Madinah.

Most of these buses would be leaving for Makkah at around the Asr prayers and return on Saturday morning so that the faithful could report to their duties early.

The number of buses plying on the route would definitely increase as the month passes by, said Mohammed, who works for one of the Umrah offices in the city. Some say on the peak days, more than 150 buses would leave Al Khobar and Dammam carrying pilgrims to the land of the faithful.

Both bachelors and families were seen proceeding for Umrah on the buses late yesterday evening. With the number of seats available in flights to Jeddah already booked in advance by many, the buses remain a viable option for a number of pilgrims.

Further these are also very economical compared to flying into Jeddah or Taif to perform Umrah.

In Riyadh and other places of the Kingdom also, similar scenes were visible.

Siraj, an Indian from Kerala is spending his first Ramadan here in the Kingdom. He said: "Ramadan here is indeed much different and exciting than in India. The voice of the Imam leading Taraveeh prayers at the mosque near my place is very beautiful," he commented.

Muslim expatriates living here feel that because of the overall environment, it is much more easier to fast while here in Saudi Arabia. "It is a unique experience," said Rahat a housewife living in Al Khobar.

In the last 10 days of Ramadan, Qiyam-e-Lail is very popular in all parts of the Kingdom. These prayers take place in the mid of every night virtually at all the mosques in the Kingdom.

Taraveeh is thus partially offered after Isha prayer and the rest at midnight during Qiyam-E-Lail.

Some of the people whom Gulf News spoke to are looking forward to the midnight congregation during the last 10 days of the month.

"That will be an experience of lifetime," said Siraj who would be attending such a congregation for the first time in his life.

Saudi Arabia has a definite colour during Ramadan, distinctly different from other places of the world because of the presence of the holiest sites of Islam in the Kingdom.