Saudi Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz oversaw on Monday a military parade carried out by the security forces tasked with maintaining security of the Hajj pilgrims.
Interior Ministry spokesman Talal al-Shalhoub underscored the readiness of the security forces in carrying out their duties to meet the aspirations of the Saudi leadership, which is keen on ensuring that the pilgrims perform the holy rituals smoothly and at ease.
Director of Public Security and head of the Hajj Security Committee Lieutenant General Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Bassami had on Sunday stressed that the security forces at the Hajj were ready to prevent anything that may impact the safety of the pilgrims.
All the security plans in place were adopted after assessing and studying the previous ones, he went on to say.
Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said on Monday that the success of organization efforts demands cooperation from the pilgrims themselves and their commitment to regulations.
He stressed that the security agencies were working around the clock to serve the pilgrims and ensure they have a smooth journey throughout the holy sites.
He highlighted the international campaign that was launched in over 20 countries and aimed at raising awareness about the gravity of violating Hajj regulations and to be wary about scams.
Also on Monday, Prince Abdulaziz followed up on the work of the Civil Defense Command and Control Center in Mina.
The minister was briefed on the plan of the General Directorate of Civil Defense for this year’s Hajj by acting Director General of Civil Defense Major General Hammoud bin Suleiman Al-Faraj.
He was briefed on their use of modern technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), including the smart platform that uses surveillance cameras to detect smoke, fire, emergency situations and risk forecasting, which boosts the speed of response of civil defense teams, immediate intervention and provision of necessary assistance.
