Kidana Development Company Enhances Infrastructure For Hajj Season 1446 AH With Over 20 Projects

Kidana Development Company, the operational arm of the Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites, has announced the completion of over 20 development projects. These initiatives are in place to welcome pilgrims for the Hajj season 1446 AH. The projects aim to improve infrastructure, ease crowd movement, and enhance comfort and safety, ensuring a high-quality experience for pilgrims.

The "Path of the Holy Sites" project is a significant development by Kidana. It covers 170,000 m² and includes eco-friendly rubber flooring over 103,000 m². This reduces temperatures and minimises physical stress and slipping risks. The path also features 15,000 m² of green spaces and designated routes for vehicles like golf carts.

In Mina, concrete stairs have been replaced with 32 escalators to aid pilgrim movement. This change particularly benefits older individuals and those with disabilities. Additionally, a purification system has been upgraded by replacing 2,116 old bathrooms with 5,628 double-story ones across 61 complexes.

To further enhance the pilgrim experience, Kidana has shaded 85,000 m² of Namira Mosque courtyard using 320 canopies and misting columns. Trees have also been planted in this area. In Mina and Arafat, paths covering areas of 35,000 m² and 60,000 m² respectively have been equipped with misting fans.

Efforts to mitigate heat stress include planting over 20,000 trees across approximately 290,000 m². Water coolers cover an area of 2,400 m². Jabal Al-Rahmah has been equipped with umbrellas over an area of 1,200 m² and features 129 misting fans to cool the climate.

The eastern courtyard of the Jamarat facility now has 200 misting fans installed to reduce direct sunlight's impact on pilgrims. Kidana's projects also include establishing an emergency hospital in Mina within just one month. This facility spans an area of 5,300 m² and accommodates more than 180 beds.

Safety and Guidance Initiatives

The "Towards Mina" project aims to improve spatial guidance for pilgrims through signage consistent with camp divisions at Jamarat facility roles. It helps reduce lost pilgrims by guiding them efficiently to their camps. Additionally, Kidana prepared sites for pressure boxes in Mina to enhance cleanliness.

Rest areas on pedestrian paths between Holy Sites cover an area of 28,000 m². These areas include chairs, commercial kiosks, misting fans, umbrellas, rubber floors spanning 7,900 m² along with green spaces that ensure safety while performing rituals.

Accommodation Developments

In partnership with the private sector, Kidana implemented two-story tent housing exceeding an area of 20,000 m² across more than forty buildings. Arafat's capacity was increased by preparing spaces within legal limits exceeding an area of more than 27,000 m² for efficient crowd organisation during peak times.

Kidana developed over one hundred rental units designed according to Makkah's architectural guidelines at Holy Sites. Contracts were signed with local brands providing services such as catering banks pharmacies restaurants cafes while establishing seventy-two charity distribution centres organising charitable services during Hajj season.

The annual Hajj season showcases cooperation among sectors serving pilgrims by providing integrated services contributing towards safe smooth journeys meeting needs from arrival at Two Holy Mosques until departure home safely enriched experiences await every pilgrim participating in this sacred journey each year.

With inputs from SPA