Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's care for Makkah and the holy sites and its service to pilgrims reflect a deeply rooted historical continuity, said CEO of the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites Saleh bin Ibrahim Al-Rasheed. This care, he added, is continually renewed through an integrated system of planning, development, and operations, in which the commission plays a coordinating and regulatory role in partnership with relevant entities.

According to Saudi Press Agency, Al-Rasheed was speaking during a panel hosted by Umm Al-Qura University, represented by the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Chair for Historic Makkah Studies, focusing on Saudi Arabia's care for Makkah, the holy sites, and service to pilgrims. The commission's CEO highlighted the role of the General Transport Center in facilitating pilgrim movement, moving more than 1.6 million pilgrims during the 1446 AH season through 26,412 trips.

The center also helped cut the time needed to complete the journey from Makkah to Mina by four hours, and reduced direct transfers to Arafat by two and a half hours compared with the previous year. He highlighted upgrades to the Jamarat area station, which have helped bring travel time to the Grand Mosque down to around 20 minutes, alongside the implementation of a circular road network extending more than 105 kilometers.

Meanwhile, Al-Rasheed noted the commission's efforts to develop historical and cultural sites, including documenting 48 heritage and archaeological sites, opening 25 locations to visitors, and welcoming more than 10 million visitors, with a satisfaction rate of 94%. He said the 1447 AH Hajj season builds on the gains of the previous season, with plans to expand green cover to around 60,000 trees, increase rest areas to more than 36,000 square meters, and raise healthcare capacity to 400 beds at the holy sites.