Makkah to become smart city in 6 years

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal said Makkah would be developed into a smart city with the Grand Mosque as its focal point over the next six years.“We will employ all kinds of modern technology to make Makkah smarter than any other smart city,” Prince Khaled told a press conference in Mina on Tuesday, the penultimate day of Haj 2011.Prince Khaled congratulated pilgrims on their successful completion of the Haj on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior.After the ritual stoning in Jamarat on Tuesday, most of the pilgrims started their trek back to Makkah.Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said close to 70 percent of the pilgrims left Mina before sundown Tuesday.The rest will stay overnight in Mina and return to Makkah after a fourth day of stoning, which is optional, on Wednesday.“The second phase of security plans in Madinah starts now, as half of pilgrims will be heading for Madinah soon,” Al-Turki told a press conference in Mina.Spokesman of the Ministry of Haj Faiz Al-Barakati said the pilgrims’ movement to Madinah would officially start on Thursday.The Al-Mashair Railway transported more than 403,000 pilgrims until Tuesday evening, according to the Haj Ministry spokesman.Replying to a question about voluntary services in Haj, Prince Khaled said the Makkah Youth Society for Voluntary Service already exists. He added that women volunteers also offered pilgrim services this year.The prince also thanked all citizens, workers, security men, officials and volunteers who strove to make the Haj a success.He said 200,139 field workers served the pilgrims.The prince affirmed that sacrificial meat was meant for the poor and the needy and was not for sale. He said steps were being taken to prevent misuse of sacrificial meat.“The officials of the Makkah governorate made 2,863 field inspections to ensure excellent services for pilgrims,” the prince said. He added that officials handled 5,261 issues, which were either solved immediately or flagged for follow-up action./129