Riyadh takes health precautions for Hajj

SAUDI Arabia expects to receive around 2 million pilgrims for this Hajj season, including 1.7 million foreigners, Al Hayat local newspaper reported yesterday.

Last year more than 1.8 million performed Hajj and most of them were foreigners.

The Ministry of Hajj will assign more than 95 000 employees, in addition to volunteers, to handle Hajj-related tasks.

The Saudi health ministry announced that all pilgrims attending the Hajj pilgrimage so far are free from epidemic and quarantine diseases.

The ministry said they are taking preventative policies as a priority, and co-ordinating with the World Health Organisation and other international authorities to ensure there are no epidemic outbreaks.

The ministry also announced establishment of Hajj-related medical facilities and services at a cost of $3.3 million (R44.4m).

Xinhua