Makkah's Grand Mosque opens more than 100 doors to ease entry, exit of worshippers

Agencies | Riyadh

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Authorities in Saudi Arabia have opened more than 100 doors at the Grand Mosque to facilitate easy entry and exit for pilgrims and worshippers. The number of worshippers at the mosque increases during Ramadan and teams are in place to ensure that they can move around, locate the new prayer halls and enter and leave easily and safely.

According to General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, the new doors will help them manage the rush, avoid cases of suffocation and overcrowding. The authorities are keen to facilitate the worshippers' movement and to ensure the smooth flow of crowds throughout the Prophet’s Mosque without any obstacles, in order to enable them to perform their rituals in an atmosphere of spirituality and tranquility.

Hatem bin Saleh Al-Owfi, Director of the General Directorate of Crowds, said that the department is working to organise the movement of worshippers’ entrance and departure from the mosque, in coordination with the concerned authorities. This will be achieved by opening 38 main corridors, 14 secondary corridors, and 38 entrances as well as the parking lots, 18 ordinary stairs, and 12 escalators to ensure smooth movement.

Al-Owfi pointed out that the Directorate guides the prayers into the Prophet’s Mosque until it reaches its full capacity, and then directs the flow towards the roof and then to the internal squares, adding that after ensuring the full capacity is reached, the worshippers are directed to the new western squares.