Saudi Arabia asks pilgrims to Mecca to beware of thieves and scammers

According to the newspaper Al Arabia, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia advised Muslims from other countries not to bring gold bars, precious stones with them and to carry no more than $16,000 dollars (60,000 Saudi riyals) in cash.

The royal authorities also urged Muslim believers to download banking applications only from official websites, not to share their bank account data with anyone and not to transfer money to unknown persons and suspicious institutions, as well as ignore text messages in mobile phones from unknown sources. In case of danger or theft, it is necessary to inform the Saudi police.

According to TASS, which refers to the royal authorities, in 2022 the Hajj, to which 1 million pilgrims from all over the world were admitted, passed without serious incidents. There were also no incidents related to coronavirus disease.

A special mobile hospital with 50 beds, including an intensive care unit with four beds, was prepared for the pilgrims in Mina, a small village on the route of the pilgrims, in case of emergencies, but the Hajj-2022 was without an emergency.

One of the innovations of 2022 was the introduction of electric scooters for the movement of pilgrims on the route. Traditionally, pilgrims walk, buses are provided for the elderly and those who find it difficult to stand on their feet for a long time. According to the General Directorate of Transport of Saudi Arabia, this will facilitate the movement of pilgrims during their rituals and shorten the journey time from Mount Arafat to the Muzdalifa Valley.

Now the road in an hour can be overcome twice as fast. Special tracks have been allocated for scooters to ensure safety.