Saudi Arabia: Over 1 million pilgrims used Mecca Grand Mosque carts in Ramadan

Cairo: More than 1 million pilgrims benefitted from a cart transportation service provided in the Grand Mosque, in Mecca, during this past sacred month of Ramadan, a state agency has said.

The figure included a record number of 57,000 users of the golf carts on a single night, namely the 27th of Ramadan that witnessed the congregation of hundreds of thousands of the faithful in the sacred site, added the General authority for Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.

The Grand Mosque received more than 3.4 million worshippers and pilgrims on that night, according to estimates.

The Authority introduced an electric golf cart service for Tawaf (a circumambulation ritual) to facilitate the movement of the elderly and people with disabilities. Fifty golf carts were provided on the rooftop of the Tawaf area.

Ramadan, which ended on March 30 in the kingdom, usually marks the peak season of Umrah or minor pilgrimage in the Grand Mosque.

In the final 10 days of the lunar month, Saudi authorities halted traditional reservations of carts in the Grand Mosque, and shifted to online booking to ensure a comfortable service to users and curtail congestion.

Last month, Saudi authorities launched a unified online platform to transport worshippers and pilgrims in the Grand Mosque.

Designed to facilitate the process of booking carts for moving inside the sprawling site, the platform allows users to pre-book online and choose their transportation method from among golf carts, push carts, and free, non-push carts, based on their personal needs.

The online service, moreover, provides multiple options for performing rituals including the circumambulation of the Holy Kaaba in the Grand Mosque as well as the full rites of the Umrah, along with choosing the appropriate date and time.

The platform features easy electronic payment, access, and all-out technical support.