Elaborate parking arrangements have been made for pilgrims and visitors arriving in Makkah from different parts of the Kingdom and their transportation needs taken care of to reach the Grand Mosque from the outskirts of the holy city.
Vehicles with passengers wearing ihram (the garments pilgrims wear when performing Umrah or Haj) are not allowed to enter the holy city by traffic police stationed at all entry points. Exclusive parking areas have been allocated on various highways on the outskirts of Makkah, which together can accommodate up to 350,000 vehicles.
Pilgrims and visitors are diverted and guided to these parking facilities in order to reduce traffic congestion in the Haram area. Vehicles arriving from Jeddah are diverted to the Haj parking area at Shumaisy on the Jeddah-Makkah Highway, while those coming from Riyadh and Dammam park their cars at Hada and Sharaya. For those coming from south of the Kingdom, parking is along Al-Leeth Road. In addition, there are parking facilities at Kudai, Al-Omraha and Al-Aziziyah.
All of these parking areas have been asphalted and elaborate arrangements made for pilgrims and visitors to commute from these places to the Haram. Four leading private bus transport companies will operate during Haj. They will be in operation aside from SAPTCO, which currently operates 1,100 buses from these parking lots to Haram at a nominal charge of SR5 one way.
All buses drop commuters at Ajayad Street opposite the Haram and pilgrims walk to Gate No. 1 or King Abdulaziz Gate.
On the return journey, buses drop commuters at a junction in Aziziyah area from where they board their buses, which take them to their respective parking areas.
Though the commuting time from the parking areas to the Haram is considerably high for visitors from Jeddah, it is hassle free. Vehicles parked in unauthorized areas or main streets are impounded and kept in different locations in the city.
Police, who also ensure that roads are clear, monitor vehicles entering the parking space.
Authorities expect to transport seven million passengers from the parking areas to the Haram in the last six days of Ramadan.
Parking lots outside Makkah ease congestion
Parking lots outside Makkah ease congestion
Saudi food safety watchdog signs MoU with Central Islamic Council of Thailand
- Partnership aims to strengthen cooperation, develop global halal ecosystem
RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with the Central Islamic Council of Thailand on the sidelines of the third Makkah Halal Forum, a press release by the Saudi food safety watchdog said Monday.
The event took place at the Makkah Chamber Exhibitions and Events Center.
The signing ceremony was attended by Sheikh Saad bin Nasser Al-Shathri, adviser at the royal court and a member of the Council of Senior Scholars; Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, minister of commerce; Saad bin Othman Al-Qasabi, governor of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization; Hisham bin Saad Al-Jadhey, CEO of the SFDA and chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Halal Center; and Abdullah Saleh Kamel, chairman of the board of directors of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and president of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce.
The MoU was signed by Abdulaziz Al-Rashoudi, CEO of the Saudi Halal Center, and Maj. Gen. Surin Palare, CICOT secretary-general.
The partnership aims to strengthen cooperation between both sides and develop the global halal ecosystem.
By strengthening the sector’s international standing, this collaboration will enhance the role of halal trade in diversifying the economy and opening new horizons for products in global markets.
This cooperation builds on the Saudi Halal Center’s efforts to establish the halal mark as a globally trusted standard.
Furthermore, it extends the international reach of the Halal Academy to train professionals and build capacity, thereby strengthening global confidence in halal products.
By taking this step, the SFDA continues to expand its regional and international presence, consolidating Saudi Arabia’s role as a leader in establishing high-standard, reliable halal systems and ensuring that halal products remain competitive and trusted worldwide.
