JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Hadiyah Association has employed global experiences and modern technology to serve pilgrims during this year’s Hajj season by introducing the “capsule hotel” and the “fire extinguishing ball.”
Made of plastic and fiberglass, each capsule hotel room is 220-cm-long, 120-cm-wide, and 120-cm-high and is supported by a metal structure. The walls are made of fireproof environment-friendly ABS, and the doors have magnetic locks that open automatically in case of power failure.
Every capsule provides good ventilation that operate at a rate of 30 cubic meters per hour and has two fans, each of which operates at three different speeds.
The capsules are also equipped with all the necessities for ending the state of Ihram, including showers, washing basins and ironing clothes, in addition to an electric control unit, safety and comfort tools, a smoke detector, a small fire extinguisher, an electronic locker for keeping personal belongings, a digital alarm clock that also shows the temperature inside the capsule, different lighting options with special lights for reading, a television, and an ionic air purifier that produces high negative ions to eliminate germs and dust.
The capsules are opened using a magnetic card programmed for each room with a pre-determined period of use.
Another invention adopted by Hadiyah Association is the fire extinguishing ball, a device that works in a matter of three-five seconds from the instant it touches flames. The ball blasts and disperses a white cloud of dried extinguishing chemicals over an area of four cubic meters to isolate the burning substance from oxygen.
The ball also releases the sound of a 138-decibel-explosion to alert nearby people and does not pose harm to humans or the environment.
It is also lightweight (1.5 kg) and convenient for women, children, and the elderly to use.