Pilgrims move to Mina as Haj pinnacle nears

A pilgrim walks with an umbrella at the camp in Mina near Makkah yesterday during the annual Haj pilgrimage.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims journeyed from Saudi Arabia's Makkah to a white-tented city in Mina Thursday as they neared the highlight of the biggest Haj ritual since the coronavirus pandemic began. Worshippers took buses or walked to Mina, 7km from Makkah's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, where they circled the Holy Ka’aba at the start of the rituals on Wednesday. The pilgrims will spend the night in the air-conditioned white tents of Mina, which sits in a narrow valley surrounded by rocky mountains and is transformed each year into a vast encampment. "I feel great. This is all to be closer to God," Tunisian pilgrim Khaled Bin Jomaa, 44, said as he entered the camp on foot, carrying an umbrella and a prayer mat. The pilgrims are positioning themselves for the highlight of the Haj today: ascending Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) delivered his final sermon. Worshippers will pray and recite the Qur’an for several hours at the mountain and sleep nearby. Tomorrow, they will gather pebbles and perform the symbolic "stoning of the devil". Fridges packed with yoghurt, juice and water were waiting at the temporary accommodation in Mina, along with a food buffet and fruit baskets. The crowds, capped at one million including 850,000 from abroad chosen by lottery, are the biggest since 2019 after two Covid-hit years when only tens of thousands were allowed. All worshippers are fully vaccinated and submitted negative PCR tests, but the rituals are taking place against the backdrop of a resurgence of Covid-19 in the region. Some Gulf countries have tightened restrictions to keep outbreaks in check. The Haj ministry has said it is working on the highest levels of health precautions in light of the pandemic and the emergence of new variants. At Mina, the pilgrims were handed small bags containing masks and sanitiser, and ambulances were parked at the camp's entrances. Temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius are another challenge. Four hospitals and 26 health centres have been prepared at Mina to treat pilgrims who might fall ill. "We have taken all precautions. We have doctors here ready to intervene in case needed," said Ahmad al-Zinani, a camp manager. Saudi state media reported that Mauritania's president and Indonesia's vice president were among the pilgrims landing in Jeddah yesterday to perform the rituals. Military helicopters will be used "around the clock... to support the public security", the commander of the Air Force Group participating in this Haj season, Colonel Khaled bin Abdullah al-Mutairi, told state media. Overseas pilgrims were banned from the Haj in 2020 and 2021 to prevent Covid infections but they are back in the mountainous region this year, filling hotel rooms and visiting shops as business owners hope to recover their pandemic losses.