By IINA,
Jeddah : The Governor of Makkah Prince Khaled Al Faisal underlined the need for exerting great efforts to improve the services being offered to Haj pilgrims. Inaugurating a workshop on improving Haj services here yesterday evening, the governor also criticized the poor quality of services rendered to Haj pilgrims. “It is regrettable that we face every year the problem of serving Haj pilgrims as if we were encountering with it for the first time,” he said.
Calling for evolving for a 10-year program to solve Haj-related problems, Prince Khaled, who is also chairman of the Central Haj Committee, emphasized the need to provide services in a more orderly and organized manner. “Protecting the dignity of pilgrims should be our main objective. We honor our ordinary guests and provide them with full care; Haj pilgrims, who are the guests of Allah, deserve better treatment from us,” he said adding King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz has always urged Haj-related agencies to provide the best possible services to pilgrims.
The governor criticized Haj-related agencies for delaying their preparations for the annual pilgrimage, the largest global gathering of Muslims. “We mobilize our resources for Haj after Ramadan, as if we are doing it for the first time,” he said. Referring to criticism in the way pilgrims are received at the Kingdom’s airports, Prince Khaled asked why they are delayed for four to five hours after arriving in and before leaving the Kingdom. “We treat pilgrims as mere travelers,” he added.
The governor said there was no shortage in human and material resources. “The government provides us with whatever we demand.
We have men and money, and we don’t have a shortage of brains or thinking power. What we need is will power to improve our services,” he said. Speaking about the poor services offered by irresponsible Haj companies, he said, “Why do we see thousands of pilgrims squatting in public places in Makkah, Mina and Arafat? Haj services are not a new thing for this Ummah. It started during the time of the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him).”