Abdul Wahid bin Ali Al-Hattab, director of public relations at the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques, was quoted by a website as saying that there were elaborate arrangements for the worshipers during Ramadan.

He said that 250 umbrellas and 436 spray fans were working in the open space to make the environment pleasant. “There is round-the-clock arrangement for cleaning and maintenance by a team of 1,350 workers. A total of 10,418 wudu (ablution) points are available and 15 electric escalators are operational at the mosque.”

Over 1,000 policemen have been controlling the movement of vehicular traffic and pilgrims in Madinah, he said.

Traffic rush

Meanwhile, over 4 million vehicles entered Makkah in 23 days of Ramadan, the General Administration of Haj and Umrah in Makkah disclosed.

Sultan Al-Dossari, spokesman for the Makkah administration, said transportation was accorded top priority for Umrah.

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who is also adviser to the king, followed up on the implementation of the plan. The plan was drawn up in coordination with various agencies to streamline vehicular traffic, Al-Dossari told local media.

He said that according to the Haj and Umrah administration, the plan included providing transportation facilities to worshipers and those who wished to perform Umrah, minimizing the traffic rush in Makkah, parking of vehicles and ferrying of pilgrims who had to park their vehicles far away from the Grand Mosque.