The Saudi authorities, whose meticulously designed and flawless Haj operation plan has yielded an outstanding outcome, won accolades from senior diplomats representing Haj missions of various countries as well as pilgrims. They said that the Kingdom alone can undertake such a huge crowd management mechanism in a superb and extremely organized way.

British Consul General Muhammed Shawkat attributed the success of Haj to the meticulously designed plan as well as the big drop in the number of domestic pilgrims plus implementation of massive expansion projects in Makkah and the Holy Sites. “The success shows the capabilities of the government and people of Saudi Arabia in taking up the big task of providing the best ever services and facilities for pilgrims.”

Shawkat said British pilgrims did not encounter any major difficulties or problems. The coordination between the consulate and the Tawafa Organization for Pilgrims from Turkey, Europe, America and Australia was excellent, he added.

Bangladesh Consul General A.K.M. Shahidul Karim told Saudi Gazette that that the arrangements for the Haj are very great and the pilgrims are extremely happy to perform their rituals in much ease and comfort. A number of leaders, including President Abdul Hamid and Minister of Religious Affairs Matiur Rahman performed Haj and all of them are very much satisfied with the facilities and arrangements. Bangladesh Ambassador Md. Shahidul Islam was there to personally over the mission’s Haj operation.

Indian Consul General B.S. Mubarak thanked the Saudi authorities for the full cooperation extended to the Haj missions to make their operation plan a great success. “Everything went very smoothly at Jamarat and within the Tent City. The last groups of our pilgrims will leave Mina on Tuesday, after performing the fourth day’s stoning ritual.” Mubarak thanked the elaborate arrangements made by the Saudi authorities for crowd management.

French Consul General Louis Blin said that French pilgrims were able to perform the rituals in ease and comfort. He also compared the difficulties faced by him while performing Haj during the year 1985 and the ease and comfort enjoyed for the Haj of 2014. “The pilgrims were blessed with the availability of amazing facilities and arrangements, especially the state-of-the-art Jamarat Complex and other giant projects at the Holy Sites,” he said.

Echoing the same view, Abdurrab Abdul Azim, a pilgrim from Egypt, said that pilgrims are the beneficiaries of the vast arrangements and high tech facilities made by the government of Saudi Arabia that helped them to perform rituals without any hardship. “I felt much ease this year while comparing to my previous Haj in 2005,” he said. Khaled Bu Doraiqa from Morocco, said that the Mashair train facility has made the movement of pilgrims within the Holy Sites much easier. “There has been qualitative leap in terms of the facilities and services within a decade,” said Doraiqa, who performed Haj earlier in 1991.

Mariam Abdurahman Cheruvattidathil, a pilgrim from India, thanked Almighty Allah and then the Saudi authorities for enabling her and other pilgrims to perform the rituals easily and comfortably. “It was a wonderful lifetime spiritual experience for me to be part of the two million pilgrims who faced not any difficulties in their performance of the ritual. Mashair train and the mammoth Jamarat have eased to quench our spiritual thirst,” she said while lauding the commendable service of volunteers who made available of packets of rice soup and guiding some of our lost pilgrims to their tents. Mariam, a retired teacher performed Haj together with her husband Abdurahman. Saudi Gazette