The Hajj pilgrims ascended Mount Arafat on Saturday, one of the holiest days of the annual rituals that kicked off on Friday.
The General Authority for Statistics announced Saturday that 2,096,023 pilgrims from inside and outside Saudi Arabia had arrived in the holy city of Makkah to perform the Hajj.
Governor of the Makkah region Prince Khalid al-Faisal said Friday that the Kingdom was spending billions of dollars on projects that will better serve the pilgrims.
The Kingdom does not care so much about costs as it does about the comfort of its guests, he stressed during a press conference in Mina.
He revealed that more than 350,000 military and civilian personnel and 4,000 volunteers have been deployed to serve the pilgrims.
On plans to develop the holy sites, he said that preliminary studies of projects have been referred to the Makkah Region Development Authority, which is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.
The projects have all received approval and finishing touches are being set for their execution, said Prince Khalid.
The goal is to develop Makkah into a modern and smart city with all advanced amenities demanded by this age and generations to come, he explained.
Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki said that the first phase of the Hajj was completed on Friday with the transfer of pilgrims to the Mina area.
Hajj is a top priority for Saudi Arabia and it is working tirelessly to ensure that pilgrims have a smooth experience, he added.
Security forces spokesman Sami al-Shweirekh said that all plans to organize the crowds are being executed without incident.
He revealed that 256 illegal Hajj operators have been busted and 16,903 people were returned to their homes for seeking to perform the pilgrimage without a permit.
