Friday 30 August 2013

E-gates to prevent illegal pilgrims


MAKKAH  About seven electronic gates will be established at the entrances to Makkah to stop illegal pilgrims sneaking into the holy city during the Haj season.
As many as 31 companies competed to win the contract for the implementation of the project, which has received the approval of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.

The Makkah governorate, the Haj Ministry and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Haj Research Center will study the offers and quotes of these companies and pick the winning firm that will implement the project.

Under the project, the pilgrims will be asked to wear smart bracelets that will be automatically scanned at the gate to immediately tell if they are allowed to perform Haj or not.

The buses will be provided with smart chips that will help automatically scan the pilgrims on board when they pass through the gates.

Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar had earlier hinted the project might be trialed during the upcoming Haj season.

Once fully implemented, the electronic scanning of pilgrims will help curb the number of the squatters who sleep under the bridges in Mina, the minister said.

He said the ministry would establish an integrated Haj terminal in Makkah on an area of 1.6 million square meters to provide pilgrims with all the services they may require.

He said the terminal would house all the Tawafa establishments’ field service offices and the offices of all 80 foreign Haj missions.

Meanwhile, Hajjar approved the operations plan of the National Establishment for Pilgrim Guides for the upcoming Haj season during a meeting at the establishment’s headquarters in Madinah on Wednesday night.
 
He stressed the importance of exerting more efforts and using advanced technology to ensure pilgrims receive the best services.

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