Almost two million pilgrims are readying themselves for day one of the hajj pilgrimage.
Saudi officials announced on Monday that almost two million pilgrims had arrived by land, sea and air routes.
At a press conference in Jeddah, major general Sulaiman Al-Yahya, the general directorate of passports, said the Saudi government had been assisting the smooth influx of pilgrims.
“The directorate is also getting ready for the second phase of Hajj in the coming days regarding the departure of the guests of Allah and their safe return to their homeland,” he was quoted as saying in Arab News.
Administrative committees have been established to facilitate the high number of visitors. These include the entrances of Makkah, in Ash Shimaisi, Taniim, Bouhaita and Karr.
On Wednesday the pilgrims will journey to Mina, located five km east of Makkah, for Yawm al-Tarwiyah, the Day of Watering.
Saudi officials also said that all government and private institutions providing hajj services have their arrangements in place. These will provide the pilgrims with all necessary facilities to enable them perform their hajj rites in in safety and comfort.
The Supreme Authority for the Development of Makkah (SADM) also announced a raft of infrastructure projects in the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah to aid this process.
These moves have been taken in response to the 2015 stampede at Makkah that killed nearly 2,300 pilgrims.
The hajj pilgrimage takes place between August 30 and September 4.
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