The pilgrims started this morning by going to Mena in order to spend there the first day so did Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). They’ll spend there one night and tomorrow morning, on Saturday, the ninth of Dhul-Hijja they will leave to Arafat in order to accomplish the greatest pillar of Hajj.

Mena is ready to welcome pilgrims. Around 3 million pilgrims from all over the world will start their Hajj from there. Security units are based at every corner within 3 km of Mena area assuring smooth performance of all rituals during the Hajj days.

The pilgrims will spend all the day in Mena combining Zuhr and 'Asr, Maghrib and' Isha, then they will sleep and early morning before the sunrise they will move from Mena to Arafat.

Thus, today, Friday, the eighth of Dhul-Hijja, all pilgrims from and outside of Saudi Arabia should arrive to Mecca and to Mena in order to be ready to start the day of Arafat, ninth of Dhul-Hijja tomorrow morning.

At Arafat, everybody will stay until sunset in order to comply with the greatest pillar of Hajj, and then all will leave from Arafat to Mozdalifa to spend the night under the open sky.

Sunday, the tenth of Dhul-Hijja, is the first day of Eid al-Adha. The pilgrims will throw stones to Jamraat Aqaba and will perform Tawaf al Ifada. Men will shave their heads and women will cut their hair in order to proceed to lamb sacrifice.

All the pilgrims’ processions will be accompanied by security escort guiding pilgrims to Mena by the spacious roads, bridges and tunnels built by the Saudi government in collaboration with the two Holy Mosques.

Major General Mansour al-Turki, spokesman for the Saudi Interior Ministry describes preparation of the security sector before arrival of the pilgrims and the way of camping management: "Now it’s time for implementation of the plans related to the safety of pilgrims and we’re focused on the entry to the holy places which is controlled of the traffic police to ensure entrance of the vehicles carrying the pilgrims."

As all other sectors involved in the pilgrimage season, civil defense is totally ready. Only in Mena in 46 centers there’re more than 2,700 fire-men as well as more than one thousand fire-men within Jamarat area.

As for Brigadier Saeed Al-Qarni, Commander of the Civil Defense in Mena, "prevention groups of four people each one can supervise the evacuation, if necessary".

Once Hajj season is over, work-shops and coordination among all participating sectors will start in order to avoid any errors and perfect common actions, plans of emergency at any time and in any situation in future.