RIYADH:  in a bid to protect the safety of pilgrims during the upcoming Haj season,  Saudi Arabia has outlined extensive health and security precautions at sacred locations.
According to Mohamed Al-Abdal, a spokesman for the Saudi Health Ministry, up to 25,000 medical personnel and more than 4,000 hospital beds would be available throughout the Islamic pilgrimage, which ends on the evening of July 12th.

Al-Abdal stated at a joint press conference on the preparation for the yearly pilgrimage that health and emergency centres, mobile health units, and virtual health services are also prepared to deliver services.

Talal Al-Shalhoub, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the Ministry is erecting a security cordon at all pilgrimage sites to stop the admission of unauthorised visitors in addition to levying penalties and fines against offenders.

Saudi Arabia will permit foreign pilgrims to perform Haj this year for the first time since the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, as the previous two seasons were solely open to domestic pilgrims.

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