In it are Signs Manifest; (for example), the Station of Abraham; whoever enters it attains security; Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to Allah,- those who can afford the journey; but if any deny faith, Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures. (Al-Qur'an, 3:97 (Aal-E-Imran [The Family of Imran]) Mina Projects Aim to Increase Pilgrim Safety MAKKAH, 20 December 2006 Several large construction projects have been undertaken in Mina with the aim of increasing the safety of pilgrims. The most notable among them is the new multilevel Jamrat Bridge. The first phases of the project have already been handed over to the authorities. The underground level of the bridge is intended mainly for the emergency services, such as taking the injured to hospital through a connected tunnel without disturbing pilgrim movements at other parts of the Jamrat. Another important work is the lengthening of Souk Al-Arab and Jawhara tunnels in the western side of Jamrat. A two-kilometer link between King Faisal Tunnel and the Rabita Road has been constructed. It starts from the Khayf Mosque in the east of the Jamrat and ends at the Sedaqi Street in the western side. The squares surrounding the Jamrat Bridge have been secured in such a way that pilgrims will not be able to sleep or camp there posing a serious threat to the safety of those who go to or return from the Jamrat. Two bus depots with a total capacity for 500 buses have been constructed on the western side of the Jamrat. A considerable part of the northern hills west of the Jamrat has been leveled to facilitate the construction of a road starting from King Fahd Road and leading to the west of the Jamrat. An eight-story medical tower with a helipad has been completed. A project to construct six residential towers with 12 stories in each tower on the foot of the Mina hills is also under way. The buildings that were removed in the area include the Mina Hospital building and the Hajj Ministry building facing the Khayf Mosque. By Monday night, 1,039,963 pilgrims have arrived in the holy cities from abroad, with their number increasing in thousands by the hour, Director General of the Passport Department Maj. Gen. Salem Al-Belaihed announced yesterday. AB [EMAIL PROTECTED] "For to us will be their return; then it will be for us to call them to account." (Holy Quran 88:25-26)
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