Government offices start moving out of holy sites

A number of government ministries and departments have vacated their offices in the holy sites and moved to the newly built Haj City in a move to create more space for accommodating pilgrims.

Quoting an informed source, the Makkah daily said on Wednesday 49 out of 418 sites in the complex have been completed and will host about 10 ministries and government departments.

The Haj City is established on an area of about 1.5 million square meters in the Awali neighborhood of Makkah, which is midway between the holy sites and the Taif Road.

The departments that already have offices in the city include the ministries of Haj, culture and information, finance, interior, the National Guard, justice, municipal and rural affairs, Islamic affairs and health, the Islamic Development Bank and the Bureau of Investigations and Public Prosecution.

Buildings in the complex have two stories, with each floor consisting of offices, bathrooms, prayer halls, kitchens, warehouses meeting rooms and utilities.

Every building can easily accommodate offices of two ministries if the size of their staff is not big.

The complex will have six mosques, three warehouses and other utilities to serve the staff working during the Haj.

According to the source, 25 ministries and government departments will vacate 270 locations in Mina, adding a spare space of 193,718 sq. meters to areas specified for the accommodation of pilgrims.

Millions of pilgrims will gather in the tent city of Mina on the first day of the Haj before leaving the next day for the standing in Arafat, the climax of Haj. The pilgrims will return to Mina on the third day in the morning and will spend there three to four days.

In Arafat, about 9 kilometers away from Mina, a total of 576,477 sq. meters will be spared when 35 ministries and government departments vacate 121 offices.

Muzdalifah will have an additional space of 177,436 sq. meters when 13 ministries and departments quit their premises.

Pilgrims stay overnight in Muzdalifah on their way back to Mina from Arafat after sunset on the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah, the month of pilgrimage. 

The source said when the shifting of the ministries and government departments is completed, their old offices in the holy sites will be razed to provide more space for pilgrims.

He expected this to be carried out before next year's Haj when the new complex will be finished and ready to house all the ministries.