Umrah Grand mosque Saudi Arabia
In this file photo taken on June 14, 2018 worshippers gather at the Grand Mosque in Islam's holiest city of Mecca as Muslims perform the Umrah. Image Credit: AFP

Dubai: The General Presidency of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has recruited 500 trained and qualified employees to regulate the entry, exit, and movement of worshippers and Umrah pilgrims inside the mosque, local media reported.

These employees work around the clock to ensure the smooth movement of crowds, especially during the month of Ramadan when the Grand Mosque witnesses a large number of visitors. The qualified cadres organise the movement of worshippers and Umrah pilgrims according to field plans, prepare reports, and submit necessary observations and records for fieldwork periodically.

The General Presidency has also prepared 120 prayer areas in the third expansion of the Grand Mosque, equipped with a system of field services, methodological plans, automated equipment, and human cadres of engineers, technicians, observers, and workers working around the clock for the comfort and safety of Umrah pilgrims and worshippers during Ramadan.

The presidency has allocated a number of doors for entry and exit, and the employees are responsible for regulating the movement of worshippers and visitors through these doors. Walid Al Masoudi, director of the General Administration of the Third Saudi Expansion at the Grand Mosque, stated that the specially allocated doors would facilitate the arrival of worshippers and aid them on their way to prayer rooms on the ground and first floors.

He added that the roof level would be used for the first time, and in the event that the internal areas of the Grand Mosque are filled, the northern and western courtyards and parts of the service buildings would be utilised as they have the capacity to accommodate more visitors.

In coordination with specialised agencies and authorities, 26 elevators have been installed to ease the movement of visitors. All praying areas of the mosque have been provided with 22,000 carpets and over 12,000 containers of Zamzam water.