Cairo: Taps fitted with sensors have been installed at the Grand Mosque, Islam’s most sacred site, in the Saudi city of Mecca to give worshippers an easy access to the blessed Zamzam water and curb waste.
The General Authority for the care of the Two Holy Mosques said the faucets fitted with the smart sensor technology aim to facilitate access for worshippers and pilgrims.
Millions of people from across the globe flock yearly to the Grand Mosque, home to the Holy Kaaba, to perform Umrah or minor pilgrimage and pray.
Saudi Arabia expects around 10 million Muslims from abroad during the current Umrah season.
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The season six months ago after the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage season that around 1.8 million Muslims attended in Saudi Arabia for the first time in three years after the pandemic-related restrictions were lifted.
Zamzam containers are already provided for the faithful at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has advised pilgrims to avoid spilling Zamzam on the ground, keep the sites clean, and dispose of used water cups in designated places.
The pilgrims are also advised against using supplies of the blessed water in performing ritual ablutions.
Robots were introduced during the annual Hajj pilgrimage season to give away Zamzam bottles at the Grand Mosque without human intervention.
The machine distributes 30 bottles in each 10-minute tour and operates for around eight hours.
Zamzam is also popular with overseas pilgrims who present it as a gift to relatives and friends after home return.
