JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Civil Defense has announced the completion of its preparations and contingency plans to ensure the preservation of the safety of pilgrims during the 2018 Hajj season in Makkah and Madinah
The preparations for the General Emergency Plan for Hajj have been personally and continuously followed-up by the Director General of the Civil Defense Sulaiman Al-Amr, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Friday.
The directorate pointed out that more than 18,000 civil defense officers and personnel have been mobilized, supported by more than 3,000 machines and sophisticated equipment, to provide the highest security level and minimize risks for worshipers at the Prophet’s Mosque.
The plan falls in line with the efforts of the government and King Salman, also the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to protect pilgrims annually, maintain their safety and facilitating their performance of rituals.
The plan includes full readiness to deal with 13 kinds of virtual risks that may occur during Hajj, which arose through in-depth studies and workshops specialized in monitoring and analyzing risks, in light of climate changes and environmental developments. The plan includes preparing detailed scenarios for dealing with each type of risk and conducting a hypothesis experiment to measure the effectiveness of confrontational plans in practice in relevant locations in the holy city.
The potential risks of Hajj vary from season to season and if construction projects are carried out for the convenience of pilgrims, as well as annual weather changes that may coincide with the Hajj season.
Therefore, the civil defense plans accommodate all these variables to monitor and analyze the expected risks, whether natural or man-made, and then take practical measures to deal with them.
Civil defense plans for Hajj this year included some foreseeable risks, whether natural, such as “high temperatures, torrential rains, hurricanes, landslides, diseases or epidemics” or industrial, such as “fires, contaminants or the dangers of mass crowds.”
The civil defense stressed the importance of training personnel on the potential risks associated with towers and tall buildings to raise their awareness in implementing evacuation plans with the assistance of special fire teams linked to these facilities.
The plan also includes working and coordinating with other concerned authorities, such as medical teams, particularly regarding previous dangerous locations or critical places around the holy city.
The authorities in the Jamarat facility have also been assigned to deal with these risks in order to participate in transporting the injured and moving them from dangerous to safe places. Then, the civil defense, along with the Saudi Red Crescent, will coordinate with the health authorities in the field hospitals and transferred to the required places.
Sixty peak evacuation points have been allocated, monitored by an officer and groups of individuals in the event of any threat to pilgrims’ safety, stampedes, or anyone who may require medical assistance.
The Special Civil Defense Emergency Forces have a great responsibility in dealing with accidents and risks that require specialized skills, highly developed mechanisms, modernity and rapid intervention capabilities.
The Civil Defense also completed preparations for crowd management and other situations by deploying a large number of officers and individuals to deal with any emergency case on all floors and entrances of the Jamarat facility and the stone throwing walls 24 hours a day, particularly during peak times.
The civil defense forces have been provided with mechanisms and equipment to facilitate rapid responses in the event of a fire, and a number of motorcycle teams have been deployed, equipped with fire and rescue devices, which have the potential to maneuver in crowded roads and sites and narrow streets.
Makkah has been divided into the civil defense plan for the Hajj pilgrimage to several axes and covered by all civil defense services, in addition to the intensification of units, field teams and teams.
Under the plan, Makkah has been divided into several axes for the Hajj pilgrimage, covering all civil defense services, in addition to intensifying units, field teams and personnel.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defense concludes contingency plans for 2018 Hajj season
Saudi Arabia’s civil defense concludes contingency plans for 2018 Hajj season
- The directorate said that more than 18,000 civil defense officers and personnel have been mobilized
- The plan includes full readiness to deal with 13 kinds of virtual risks that may occur during Hajj
Saudi House kicks off Davos with push on Vision 2030, AI platform and ‘humanizing’ tourism
- Saudi ministers dominate pre-summit spotlight at Saudi pavilion, touting Vision 2030’s next phase and human capital as key to global edge
- Ministry of Economy and Planning announced the SUSTAIN Platform which aims to accelerate AI-enabled, cross-sector collaboration for sustainable development
DAVOS: For regulars at the World Economic Forum, Monday in Davos is usually a chance to ease into the week, a time to reconnect, plan meetings and prepare for the intense schedule ahead.
This year, Saudi Arabia moved quickly to fill that lull, taking center stage with a packed program of panels ahead of Tuesday’s official opening.
At the Saudi House — the Kingdom’s official pavilion on the Promenade, returning after its debut as a standalone venue at the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting — Saudi ministers and global executives set out how the Kingdom sees the next phase of its transformation.
Established by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, the venue is pitched as a platform for international thought leaders to tackle the challenges, opportunities and solutions shaping the global economy.
Opening a session on the Kingdom’s role at this year’s Forum and the next phase of Vision 2030 — now in its 10th year and roughly two-thirds complete — Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, said human capital “is the actual driver if you want a competitive, modern economy.”
She described one of the biggest achievements of the past decade as the emergence of a highly qualified cohort of young Saudis who could work anywhere in the world but “choose to come home, choose to build at home and choose to deliver at home,” calling this “the biggest symbol of the success of Vision 2030.”
Who can give you optimum access to opportunities while addressing risks? I contend that Saudi Arabia has been able to provide that formula.
Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi minister of investment
On the same panel, Minister of Finance Mohammed Aljadaan said this success is rooted in a “behavioral change” that has strengthened the Kingdom’s credibility with both international partners and its own citizens.
“Credibility comes from being very pragmatic, making sure that you maintain your fiscal policy discipline, but at the same time refocus your resources where it matters,” he said, warning that “markets will call your bluff if you’re not serious.”
The Saudi House, a cross-ministerial initiative led by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, is intended to underscore the Kingdom’s “commitment to global cooperation” by offering “a platform where visionary ideas are shared and shaped,” while showcasing opportunities and lessons from its “unprecedented national transformation.”
Echoing earlier comments to Arab News, Economy and Planning Minister Faisal Alibrahim said the Kingdom’s role as an anchor of stability has helped unlock its potential, stressing that while the objective is to decouple from reliance on a single commodity, “2030 is not the finishing line.”
Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi minister of investment, said Saudi Arabia has been able to enable access to opportunities while addressing major risks, arguing that few countries can match the Kingdom’s overall mix.
“No country has all of those to 100 percent,” he said. “But who can give you the mix that gives you optimum access to opportunities while addressing all of those risks?
“I contend that Saudi Arabia has been able to provide that formula and the proof is in the pudding,” noting that local investment has doubled in recent years to reach levels comparable with India and China.
While societal transformation dominated the morning discussions, the afternoon turned to technology, tourism, sport and culture, four strategic sectors expected to spearhead Vision 2030’s next phase.
The Ministry of Economy and Planning used the day to announce the SUSTAIN Platform, due to launch in 2026, which aims to accelerate AI-enabled, cross-sector collaboration for sustainable development.
The ministry said SUSTAIN will translate the Kingdom’s public and private-sector coordination mandate into a practical national tool to help government entities, businesses, investors, academia and civil society identify credible partners, form trusted coalitions and move initiatives “from planning to implementation more efficiently,” addressing a global challenge where fragmented partnerships often slow delivery and blunt impact.
“We are in a moment in time where technology may well impact the face of humanity,” said Dina Powell McCormick, recently appointed president and vice chairman of Meta, welcoming the Kingdom’s “desire” to partner with technology companies and its embrace of innovation.
Minister of Tourism Ahmed Alkhateeb, discussing how technology is being deployed in his sector, underlined that “in travel and tourism, people are very important. We learn about other people’s culture through interacting with people. We digitalize the unnecessary and humanize the necessary.”
He added that while technological transformation is a priority, “we don’t want to replace this big workforce with technology. I think we need to protect them in Saudi Arabia, where we’re being a model. I’m an advocate of keeping the people.”
Throughout the week, Saudi House will host more than 20 sessions, including over 10 accredited by the WEF, across six themes: Bold Vision, Insights for Impact, People and Human Capability, Quality of Life, Investment and Collaboration, and Welcoming the World.
The pavilion will also launch “NextOn,” a new series of influential and educational talks featuring leading global voices.
