Pilgrim numbers up 24% over last year

The number of pilgrims arriving via air, land and sea entry points until Friday reached 1.07 million, an increase of 204,302, or 24 percent, compared to the same period last year.
The numbers of pilgrims arriving by air, land and sea were 1.015 million, 50,554 and 4,915 respectively, according to data released by the General Directorate of Passports.
On Sunday, the number of pilgrims arriving in Madinah stood at 32,468, while those leaving the city for Makkah reached 24,073, according to the National Guides Establishment in Madinah.
The number of pilgrims who remained in Madinah up to Sunday evening reached 201,101, compared to 175,676 in the same period last year.
Presiding over a meeting on Civil Defense plans for Hajj, the director general of the Civil Defense, Gen. Sulaiman Al-Amro, emphasized the importance of raising the sense of security, and of not tolerating any excesses or violations of safety requirements.
The commander of Civil Defense forces for Hajj, Maj. Gen. Hamad bin Abdul Aziz Al-Mubaddal, gave a visual presentation on the Civil Defense’s preparations and plans, and the readiness and positioning of forces at the holy sites.